Three Delivery When Friends Attack
by crystalquirt
Summary: Three Delivery Fan Fiction. What might have happened if Nana had not shown up in time to help them in the battle with Tobey-Nian? And the story continues, Kong Li attacks with the particularly dangerous Purple Venom of Plum sauce recipe.
1. Chapter 1

What might have happened if Nana had not shown up in time to help them in the battle with Tobey-Nian?

As usual, I do not own any part of Three Delivery, their stories or characters although I wish I did. I only borrowed them a little for this fan fiction.

Tobey-Dog licked the edge of the pot of dog food cooling on the stove. The enchantment took effect and he turned into a beautiful big gray Nian. He had multiple shades of gray and black all over his body, including a long fluffy black mane. Through the transfer, he maintained his white forelock that now fell forward down his face from between his lion-like ears. His whole body shape was roughly that of a lion with glowing red eyes.

Tobey-Nian stepped back and felt how strong he was now. He felt so powerful. But 'he' was not Tobey anymore. He couldn't understand the concerned voices that took turns blaring from the phone that hung around his neck. Sue had tied Tobey's phone loosely around his neck when he turned into a dog to go on a mission. His assigned task was to find the prepared recipe so they could find the antidote and save the neighborhood dogs that were turned in to Nian.

Now, blindly driven by instinct Tobey-Nian's only concerns were his own survival and finding his next meal. Not so far from the real Tobey, accept with no conscious, or memory of his friends who were sure to try to help him.

Tobey-Nian methodically placed his huge front paws out evenly out front, and rocked back ruffling the fur in his mane and along his back. That stretch felt so good, he yawned and did it again. Then he wandered out of the building and into the alley, looking for his next meal. Transforming into creatures always made Tobey so hungry, even when he couldn't remember being Tobey anymore.

Sid and Sue were pedaling down the alley. As they went, both of them were calling to Tobey through their phones.

"Sue! You don't think he ate some of the dog food do you?"

"I hope not, but what else could have happened? You know Tobey."

They turned the corner and came face to face with three of the red-orange Nian. They had been pacing around and clawing in the garbage from a large dumpster that one of them turned over. They were not satisfied with their dumpster meal, but were extremely interested in the fine cuts of meat that had just pedaled up to them on bikes.

Sid and Sue pulled their bikes into the air and flipped them around before landing again, ready to pedal back the way they came, but just as quickly slammed on the brakes to stop again. There were three more Nian behind them too.

"Sue! Get ready for battle." Sid encouraged as they both jumped off their bikes. The Nian didn't attack them right away. They were distracted and looking away from Sue and Sid.

Standing in an opening in the side of the building where the magic dog food was cooking stood a majestic black Nian. Framed in moonlight from the collapsed roof from within, he had a white forelock and he looked to be the largest and strongest Nian among them. The others in fact, snarled and spit at the newcomer, but also stayed well back from the black Nian.

The majestic beast opened its mouth wide and roared loudly. After he roared, three of the smallest red Nian, ran off in search of easier pray. The other three stayed and paced in circles around Sid and Sue.

Sue cried out, "What have you done with Tobey!"

"Look Sue! That's Tobey's phone! That is Tobey! He did eat some of the dog food!"

"He never listens!" Sue readied herself by getting into her defensive pose.

The black Tobey-Nian roared again and jumped at the Sue and Sid. Sue dodged completely and Sid used his leverage as Tobey-Nian leapt towards him, to propel the beast head first into the wall across the alley.

"Tobey!" Sue cried out. "Don't hurt him Sid!"

"I don't think I could hurt him if I wanted to. Don't worry about Tobey-worry about us right now." Sid turned to fend off an attack by a red Nian.

With the Tobey-Nian down for a moment, the red Nian took their opportunities to attack. Another of the red Nian charged Sue. When it got to her, she dropped to her back and kicked it under the belly, throwing it over her head to the wall. It landed against the crumbling brick wall next to the hole where the black Nian had first appeared. Several bricks fell from the top edge of the hole and broke as they landed on the asphalt.

Tobey-Nian got to his feet and shook his head. He charged Sid again as another red one jumped at Sue. As Sid turned to face Tobey-Nian's attack, he shouted a warning at Sue. "Look out!"

Sid tried to dodge Tobey-Nian again, but his concern for Sue as he saw the other one jump at her, threw his timing off. Tobey-Nian's claws swiped across the front of Sid's thigh as he went by. Sid gasped and fell to his knees with both hands covering the stinging wound.

Tobey-Nian paused to lick Sid's blood off his claws. Sid gritted his teeth and stayed still for a moment as he willed the pain away. He stood up and resumed his defensive stance, the discomfort still showing on his face.

"SID!" Sue screamed! She looked over just in time to see Tobey-Nian wound Sid. She grabbed the Nian charging her by the mane around its neck and flipped it away from her.

Sue ran about two steps towards where Sid was, but another red Nian landed in front of her, blocking her way to him. She watched Sid avoid another attack from Tobey-Nian as she defended against the one that stepped in her way.

"Tobey! Please Stop!" Sid pleaded, getting out of breath, "I'm your best friend!" Tobey-Nian gathered himself and pounced toward Sid like a cat on a mouse. Sid spun around and kicked Tobey-Nian while he was in mid-air, launching his transformed friend over a railing and down into a loading dock.

At the same time, a red Nian lowered its head and took several stalking steps towards Sue. She backed away and found herself very close to the large opening in the brick wall that lead back to where the magic dog food was cooking. She knew that was where she had to go to put the ginger in the recipe. If she could just get to it, maybe this would all be over and Tobey and the dogs would change back. She stumbled and almost fell on the bricks that had already fallen as she started inside. The Nian watched her and gathered himself up to pounce.

Another red Nian jumped at Sid and he did the same move, throwing the Nian over the railing and down to the loading dock where the trucks back in to be unloaded at the market. He watched it go over the railing and land on the concrete below. When he looked down after the red one, the black Tobey-Nian was nowhere to be seen.

"Sue!" Sid started limping towards Sue. He was favoring his injured leg more now and moved much more slowly than usual.

The red Nian, still stalking Sue, gathered up all its weight on its haunches and leapt at Sue. She ducked and it went over her going through the hole in the brick wall. It landed inside and without missing a beat, the red Nian rolled back on its haunches and turned to leap back towards her.

Sue grabbed mane on each side of its powerful mouth and rolled back throwing it in the air again. This time though, Sue landed on her back in the hole under the loose bricks. She cried out as she landed on her back in the rubble from the bricks that had already fallen. She kicked the red Nian up into the air, its body hit the loose bricks in the top of the hole. It yelped as it hit with the great force of its own heavy body, thrown powerfully into the air by Sue's martial arts skill.

Sue rolled over on her stomach and scrambled to get out from under the falling bricks and Nian. Before she could get up the red Nian fell across the backs of her legs, holding her down. The Nian roared in pain and anger as a shower of bricks and mortar some still in large chunks fell on both of them.

She cried out, "Sid!" as the weight of the Nian landed on her legs. Some of the bricks bounced off the Nian's body and landed on her, striking her shoulders and the back of her helmet. If she had not had her helmet on, she would have been badly hurt.

The Nian lay motionless from its injuries. Its unconscious body remained draped across her legs, above the back of her knees. Sue was effectively pinned to the ground and she pulled, struggled and pushed on the Nian's body trying to free herself, but couldn't budge it or the large chunks of brick wall stacked on and around her. Sue could see Sid running toward her.

"SUE!" Sid had seen it all as he made his way towards her. Blocking attacks from the remaining Nian as he went. Sid was starting to feel very weak. The blood from the wound in his thigh had soaked down his pant leg and into his sock and shoe.

Sid had almost made it to Sue, when Tobey-Nian landed in front of him again. The smell of Sid's blood was both driving it crazy as it wanted more, but also on some level, way down deep, the creature felt terrible, and worried about Sid. The conflict caused Tobey-Nian to hesitate for a moment. He and just stood in front of Sid and looked at him.

"Tobey, please… stop! Don't you recognize us?" Sid pleaded. "We are very close, please remember us – Sue needs our help!"

Instinct took over again and Tobey-Nian growled fiercely and lunged at Sid. Sid gathered all his energy and jumped high in the air to plant a kick from above, connecting with Tobey-Nian's head, right over the white forelock.

Tobey-Nian fell forward, striking his chin on the ground and breaking off one of his fangs. He roared in pain. Sid landed only a few feet from Sue on his injured leg, which made him gasp as he almost fell.

"Sue, are you hurt badly?" Sid asked her as he recovered and took another step toward her.

"I don't think I am hurt, but I am trapped." She gasped as she looked up, "Sid WATCH OUT!"

Sid couldn't react in time, his leg slowed him down and he was exhausted. Sid only managed to turn to face Tobey-Nian before he jumped on him with claws extended.

"SID! – Tobey! STOP!" Sue yelled from her trapped position. She was only a few feet away from them and could do nothing to help! "SID! FIGHT!"

Tobey-Nian's weight knocked Sid flat on his back. He stood with both front feet on Sid's chest and shoulders. His back legs were standing on the asphalt on either side of Sid's legs. Tobey-Nian's claws flexed and dug into Sid's skin making eight puncture wounds in his chest and shoulders. Sid screamed in pain and blood rapidly soaked through his shirt around each claw. With Tobey-Nian's weight crushing down on him he could hardly breathe and with the blood loss, he was too weak to fight back.

The other two Nians who were still hanging around became more excited with the smell of all that blood in the air and moved in closer. They snarled and fought amongst each other. Tobey-Nian let out a loud roar, daring any of them to come near his dinner. With Sue trapped nearby as well, he expected to dine very well. The other Nian backed off but waited nearby in case of the chance to steal any leftovers.

Sue's heart jumped into her throat as she watched what happened next. Sid kicked feebly at Tobey-Nian's stomach. Tobey-Nian didn't even feel Sid's attempt to fight back. The great black beast was in no hurry now, and slowly, methodically and firmly wrapped his huge jaws around Sid's throat like a lion taking down an antelope. Sid trembled, put his head back and closed his eyes. He could feel and smell Tobey-Nian's hot breath on his neck and strangely, for once his breath was not that bad! He laughed inside at what he thought would be his final thought. Sid felt Tobey-Nian's teeth and jaws closing tightly on his neck.

Sue struggled harder and harder to get free but couldn't get her legs out from under the fallen Nian. She became hysterical and tears rolled down her face as she started picking up the bricks closest to her and throwing them one at a time at Tobey-Nian.

One of the bricks hit the great black Nian in the forelock – landing in the same place where he had been hit before, the pain made Tobey-Nian freeze and close his red, glowing eyes. With Sid's neck still in his mouth, Tobey-Nian became aware of his prey's fear. He was aware of Sid's whole body shaking with fear and pain and he felt aversion to it. The great Nian felt something that made him hesitate like human compassion for his friend. It was not a normal feeling for a Nian!

Sid's eyes were shut tight and there were tears running down into his hair at his temples as the great black Nian struggled with his reluctance to finish off his prey.

Sue continued to yell "Tobey! Stop, Please don't kill Sid! PLEEEEAse!" she hurled two more bricks at Tobey-Nian.

Now there were tears welling up in the great, black Tobey-Nian's eyes. As his tears spilled from the corners of his eyes they fell to the ground by Sid's head. Tobey-Nian, just as slowly as he placed his mouth around Sid's neck, he began to pull his lips back and slowly opened his teeth releasing him as gently as he could.

Sue watched silently, fighting back her own tears, afraid to move anymore or make a sound and spook Tobey-Nian.

When Sid felt Tobey-Nian let go, he opened his eyes and looked at him. Tobey-Nian retracted his claws and took his huge paws off Sid's chest. Sid winced as the huge claws withdrew from his skin. Tobey-Nian's tears rolled down his face and were falling on Sid's chest now.

"Tobey? Is that you? Are you b-back with us?" Sid questioned hopefully.  
Tobey-Nian made small rumbling sounds, and verbalized like a cat who wanted to be petted. He was purring! Sid was sure he heard it.

The other Nian were getting restless, as this strong newcomer had not even started his meal yet. The two left hanging around circled in closer and the bravest one took a swipe in Sid's direction.

Tobey-Nian, still standing over Sid, lowered his head and shoulders. He roared a warning at the others to stay back. Tobey-Nian looked down at Sid and over at Sue and they knew he really was back with them.

Tobey-Nian roared again and jumped from his position over Sid. Sid managed to put one arm up thinking Tobey-Nian was going to step on him. Tobey-Nian charged at the two other Nian and they took off. Tobey-Nian only had to lope after them for a couple of strides before stopping. The last two Nian ran back down the alley turned at the end, running completely out of sight.

Tobey-Nian carefully stepped over to Sue and nuzzled her neck. She was not afraid; she could tell this was their Tobey. He put his nose under the shoulder of the Nian's fallen body that had pinned Sue's legs and rolled it off of her.

Most of the debris from the crumbling bricks fell away as he rolled the body off her. She was sore and stiff but not hurt seriously, and she struggled a little to stand up. Sue scratched Tobey-Nian's ears as she went by him to get to Sid. Tobey-Nian followed Sue to Sid's side and stretched out beside them. Tobey-Nian's body length was one and a half times that of Sid's. He made occasional small rumbling noises and nuzzled Sid as Sue looked him over for injuries quickly.

"Sid, hold on! I'm calling Nana." Sid nodded and shut his eyes. Not knowing where in the rubble her phone might be, she reached over and unhooked Tobey's phone from around Tobey-Nian's neck.

Nana saw a call from Tobey's phone and thought Tobey was calling her finally! He was only supposed to have stayed as a dog for an hour and it had been a long time since the hour was up. "Well Tobey, it's about time, your hour as a dog was up a while ago. Did you kids stop the Nian?"

"S-Sid's hurt." Sue voice cracked as she began to sob and couldn't say more.

"I will find you." Nana told her and raced from the restaurant. Sue dropped the phone.

Sue willed herself to stop sobbing. She knew she still had to get Sid's leg to stop bleeding and couldn't see what she was doing for all the tears in her eyes. Sue put both hands, palms down, next to each other over Sid's lacerated thigh. The pressure she put on his leg made him cry out and grit his teeth.

"Sorry Sid." I have too…" she apologized, but Sid didn't hear her before he passed out. "Sid?" she said. Exhausted, she let her forehead rest on the back of her hands. Tobey-Nian nuzzled her ear and licked her fingers. Sue looked back up at him. He gazed into her eyes and then looked down at Sid. He licked the side of Sid's face with his big, warm rough tongue. Sid didn't respond and Tobey-Nian made a whining noise.

"It's ok Tobey. We know you couldn't help it. You were not yourself." Tobey-Nian lay back down next to Sid, put his head back and roared sorrowfully, the pain audible in the big creatures roar. Tobey-Nian still couldn't understand her words in this form, but he knew there was great pain in his heart. He knew something terrible had happened and he hurt the ones he loved, his family.

Sue watched Tobey and wondered how much he could understand about what was going on and how much he would remember. Sue kind of hoped he wouldn't remember what happened. She could say Sid got hurt by one of the other Nians while he was protecting her. It was partly true.

Sue thought if she could only get Tobey to eat the ginger, even Nana wouldn't have to know all of what happened. Sue choked back tears as she looked at an unconscious Sid. What if he…? What if? Sue couldn't even think it and wanted to protect Tobey, whatever happened.

Sue kept one hand in place over Sid's wound and took the ginger out of her pocket. She held it out to Tobey-Nian.

Instinct told Tobey-Nian that he hated ginger, when she offered it to him he growled and jumped away. He roared and took a step back toward the siblings.

"Come on Tobey! Please eat it! We need you to be you again!" Sue pleaded with him. Tobey-Nian still had a strange feeling, like unnatural instinct. Instinct now told him she was his friend and was trying to help. He cautiously came back and lay down beside them again. This time when she held the ginger out to him, he clenched his teeth, but didn't move. Just like the human Tobey did when Nana made him taste something he didn't think he would like.

Tobey-Nian turned his head sideways and took it in his mouth from her hand. Just getting it in his mouth was enough to start the transformation! Bright green waves of energy surrounded the great Tobey-Nian and she watched as he turned smoothly into his smaller human self!

He was on his stomach looking a little dizzy. Sue reached over Sid and touched Tobey's shoulder. "Tobey! Are you ok?" she asked. His vision was blurry and he blinked as he got to his hands and knees.

"Wow – I'm not sure…" in only a few seconds Tobey regained his senses, and his vision cleared and he looked at Sid.

"Sid… No… oh no, Sue – what have I done?" he said in a small, quiet voice, that almost didn't sound like Tobey. Sue looked at him with tears in her eyes. She had really hoped he wouldn't remember but now it sounded like he remembered everything. He sat back on his heels and stared at Sid.

"Don't worry Tobey, he will be alright! Nana is on her way." As Tobey looked up at her, small movements to the side caught his eye. "It's them! The Nian have come back." Sue looked where he was looking. They were still at the corner, looking down the alley at them. They knew the large black Nian was not there anymore and had left his prey unprotected.

There were three of them gathered, and more coming as they turned and started stalking the kids, Tobey ran at them. Tears streamed from his eyes as he planned to die protecting Sid and Sue. He figured there was one last thing he could do for them, and that was to protect them until Nana got there.

He fought all three of them off expertly. Since he had been a Nian, he knew better how to fight them off than he did the first time he encountered them. He fought ferociously and without fear, but the Nian were determined to get to their dinner, and there were too many of them. Despite his best efforts, the fight was getting closer to his friends.

Sue watched Tobey fight as she stayed by Sid, keeping her hands over his wounds. Sue was sure she heard Tobey roaring at them. She was ready to go help him, but it didn't look like he needed it, and Sid needed her more. Sid's skin felt cold and he moaned and started trembling. She wished for a blanket.

She heard a car drive up behind her. When she looked, she saw it was Nana.

Nana stopped the car next to where Sid and Sue were and jumped out. She had a bag of ginger and a blanket. As Nana threw the blanket over both of them, Sue told her where the dog food was cooking and Nana said she would be right back, but as she left, she placed her hand on Sid's forehead.

Nana smiled at Sue and told her "Sid will be fine…" before she ran in to get the dog food. Sue pulled the edge of the blanket from around her shoulders, and covered Sid with double layers.

In just a few seconds, Nana was back with the food. She took it with her to the middle of the fracas and stood beside Tobey. She spilled most of the food out and the Nian came over to lick it up. They all turned back into dogs and they continued to clean up the spilled dog food. Tobey bent forward and put his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

Nana rejoined Sue and Sid. Sid was waking up. Tobey came over too, but kept his distance.

"Hi Nana." Sid said weakly. "I guess I missed one of them and it got me."

"It's ok Sid, and you will be fine." Nana unzipped Sid's shirt down the front and opened it up to see all 8 of the claw marks on his chest and shoulders. Nana sprinkled a pinch of some kind of powder on each wound. Then she did the same with his pants leg, tearing it from over the wounds in his thigh.

As the powder made contact with the wounds, he winced as it disappeared soaking in completely. "This will help keep the bleeding stopped and prevent infection. It is better than anything the doctor's have. It will even help with the pain, but your leg is going to need stitches."

"Sue, there is another blanket in the car, please spread it out on the back seat and we will put him on it to drive him to the hospital."

Sid tried to sit up, but Sue stopped him and told him to stay still. "You will start bleeding again if you move around." When Sid put his head back down, he turned and saw Tobey standing back with tears in his eyes.

"Tobey? It's good to have you back!" Sid told him. "Are you ok?" Tobey didn't answer, the words were caught in his throat behind tears, and he did not feel ok at all as he watched Sue and Nana tend to Sid's injuries. Injuries he caused, because he just had to taste everything.

"Sorry…" Tobey murmured and turned away. He ran down the alley and disappeared.

"Tobey!" they all three called him.

"I know it is upsetting to see Sid get hurt." Nana said, "But why is he so upset, why did he say he was sorry?"

Sue just couldn't lie to Nana. "Tobey ate some of the recipe and turned into a Nian. He was the Nian who hurt Sid."

"Oh no. That being what happened, he will be feeling pretty low. I think we need to find him quickly."

"Yes Nana." Sue answered.

"Will you go find him and get him back to Wu's? I promise to take good care of Sid and we will meet you there as soon as a Doctor stitches up his leg."

"Ok I will find Tobey. Take care." Sue said as she bent down and gave Sid a peck on his forehead. Sid smiled up at her and she went to get on her bike. Nana helped Sid get in the back seat and put his bike in the trunk. She had to leave the trunk open because it was too big. Then she went to retrieve the cooking pot that had the food in it. There was a little juice left in the bottom and she carried it over to the body of the Nian that had trapped Sue.

Nana poured what was left of the food with the ginger in it over the unmoving Nian. The green waves of energy flowed around it, and it also turned back into a dog. A happy bouncy dog named "Mops." Nana picked the tiny dog up and put her in the car next to her, promising to take her home. "Nana, I thought that one had died?"

"Are you forgetting Sid? Nian are immortal he would have woke up soon and continued his attack if not for the ginger." They drove off toward the hospital. The rest of the dogs, all happy to be dogs again, all ran home to their owners.

[Tobee continued.]


	2. Chapter 2

When Friends Attack

Part 2

By Crystalquirt

It's an "Angstapalooza." there will be at least one more chapter coming soon. But who knows - I thought this would be the last one when I started it.

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Tobey only ran a couple of blocks, before slowing down. He was exhausted from all that had happened. He had gone through three transformations, too many battles to count, and seriously hurt his best friend. There were probably other things that he couldn't remember at the moment.

Besides, he was finding it difficult to cry and run at the same time. Tobey stopped and sat on a wooden crate behind the bakery. He used the front edge of his shirt to wipe his eyes. On a Wednesday night, the bakery had already been closed for hours so no one was around.

"How could I do that to Sid-to both of them? Sue must hate me too." Tobey felt sick. He put his arms around his stomach and leaned over, lying down on his side. The crate was barely big enough, but he fit curled up into a tight ball. He hugged his knees up to his chest and waited for the nausea to pass.

Sue was following him. She rode her bike up in the alley and stopped across from the crate with Tobey curled up on top of it. Seems right that I would find him behind the bakery, he likes a donut when he is upset. It is lucky for his waistline that he does not get upset very often. She smiled as she went up to him.

"Tobey? Are you alright?" Sue asked softly.

"No."

"We know it wasn't you-you were not in control of yourself. Sid is worried about you. We all are." Sue sat on the ground next to the crate and looked into his face. He kept his eyes closed, but he knew she was right there. He sniffled and tried to stop the tears before speaking.

"It was me!-IT WAS ME!-Who just had to take a little taste of the dog food. I told myself that just a little wouldn't hurt, but I know better! I know it only takes a tiny bit for a magic recipe to be effective. I took a chance on becoming something as dangerous as a Nian with you and Sid right there. Nana had called the Nian 'Man-eaters.' What if I had killed you or Sid?"

"Tobey! But you didn't kill us, it wasn't even you who hurt Sid, it was the Nian and what you learned about the Nian during your transformation, helped you defeat them. You protected us alone against many until Nana got there."

Tobey wrapped his arms over his head and closed his eyes so he couldn't see Sue anymore. "Too bad there wasn't anyone around to protect Sid from me… just leave me alone."

"No, we can sit here and talk some more, or I will follow you back to Wu's. Either way I am not leaving you alone in an alley in the middle of the night feeling like this."

Tobey didn't say anything else. He pulled his knees up tighter and pressed his palms into his eyes. Sue sat with him quietly for a long time. When Sue's phone rang she stepped a little ways away to answer. It was Nana telling her they were on their way home from the hospital, and Sid would be fine. Nana asked about Tobey. Sue told her where they were. "Tobey is not feeling very well." Knowing Tobey didn't have his bike, Nana told them to stay there a little longer and she would come by and give them a ride home.

"Come on, Tobey sit up. Nana is coming by to give us a ride home." There was no response. "It's ok Tobey, you better take advantage of a getting ride somewhere that for once you won't have to pedal, the car is going back to storage in the morning." He didn't move, and Sue sat back down near him to wait.

Tobey was still curled up on the crate when Nana's car pulled up. Sue took Tobey by the hand and pulled him up. He was still reluctant to get in and stood outside the car, watching. Sid was sitting sideways in the back seat with his injured leg up. They had already taken Mops home. Sid told him, out the window, "Tobey, Coco Wong was very happy to see her little Mops dog." It seemed like Tobey didn't hear him.

Sue put her bike on top of Sid's bike in the trunk, and strapped a bungee cord around them to hold both bikes in place. She slid in the back seat with Sid, picking his leg up and scooting in under it. Then she laid it back down on her lap. Sid winced and yelled "Hey! OW!" Sue told him to toughen up and they smiled at each other.

Tobey got in the front seat and they pulled back out on the street. Tobey was not much in the talking mood, and Sue saw him get tears in his eyes when he looked back at Sid's leg. Tobey looked back out the passenger side window.

At the hospital, they had wrapped Sid's leg up in bandages and put on a brace to keep him from pulling out his stitches. Nana told them the doctor wanted him not to bend it very much for a couple of days, but after that he could return slowly to his normal activities, as long as he didn't pull out his stitches.

Nana went on to tell them that Sid's was not the only injury they had seen in the hospital that resulted from a Nian. The news channels called them wild dogs, and none of them got a picture. So they didn't ask many questions and assumed it was another wild dog attack. Letting people think wild dogs were in Chinatown, was not logical, but probably better than scaring everyone with the truth, if they had even believed it.

Sid thought about the doctor telling him he would have to have to have a series of rabies shots and they were painful. Sid knew Tobey didn't have Rabies, but he couldn't explain to them exactly what or who attacked him.

When they got home Tobey went straight up to his room. He wouldn't even have dinner first. Too sad and tired he got undressed and only pulled on his pajama bottoms. It was hot in their room anyway so he stretched out on his stomach on top of the sheet after throwing the comforter on the floor. It was already early in the morning and they would only be able to sleep for a couple of hours before time for school.

Sue and Sid each got into the leftover's, and after wolfing something down while standing in the kitchen they went up to bed. Nana took some soup upstairs with her. Sid entered their bedroom silently and got in his bed without bothering Tobey. Exhausted, Tobey was already asleep and was dreaming. Sid could hear him mumbling and listened until he fell asleep.

In his dream, Tobey, with Sue and Sid were having a birthday party for Sid and when it was time to cut the cake, Sid was stretched out on the table with his chest and belly covered in white frosting. Tobey began cutting through the frosting with the serving knife and Sid screamed, begging him to stop. But Tobey just smiled and licked the bloody frosting off the knife. He licked his lips and kept on cutting. He kept on cutting while Sid's blood welled up in the cuts and mixed with the frosting. Tobey started screaming and woke everyone else up.

Sid jumped out of his bed and hopped over to Tobey's bedside. Tobey was screaming hysterically with his eyes open wide, but obviously seeing something that Sid couldn't see. "Sid! NO!" over and over. Sue came in and watched from behind Sid wishing she could help.

Sid held his shoulders and repeated his name, but Tobey didn't stop. He started hitting and thrashing around like he was trying to get away. Rather than get hit in one of his sore spots on his chest or have him yank out his stitches, Sid got out of the way and let Sue have a try.

Sue grabbed Tobey through all his fighting. She ignored his fists and knees hitting her and hugged him close. She held him tightly and spoke softly to him until he stopped struggling. "Tobey, are you alright now? That must have been a terrible dream." Tobey blinked and wiped tears out of his eyes.

Sid was sitting on the end of the bed. "Do you want to tell us about your dream?"

Tobey said, "No." and rolled over with his back to them. Sue put her hand on his arm and felt him shaking. "Leave me alone," was all he said. Tobey's nausea had returned.

Nana had been standing in the doorway watching. She motioned to them to come out, Sid and Sue told Tobey goodnight, and went to speak to Nana. They shut the bedroom door and stood out in the hall. Nana told them to give him some room. She was sure this would pass soon.

"He is dreaming about what happened. Isn't there anything we can do for him, Nana?" Sid asked, and Nana told him not yet, that he needed to figure some things out for himself. She said she would talk to him in the morning. "Sid, keep an eye on him." He agreed and Nana went back to her room. Sue went back to bed and Sid went back in the room with Tobey and stretched out on his bed on top of the covers.

He heard Tobey's voice in the dark, "I'm sorry Sid, I wish I could change..."

"Its fine Tobey, don't worry about it." Sid got back up and hoped to Tobey's bedside. Tobey opened his eyes and sat up when he felt Sid sit on the edge of the bed.

Sid told him, "I worry that you are feeling so bad, it is no big deal. I am fine." Sid put his arms around his shoulders and gave him a hug. Tobey was all choked up and couldn't speak. He returned the hug, not really wanting it to end.

Sid let him go after a few moments and went back to his own bed. When Tobey was sure Sid was asleep, he got up and went downstairs. As tired as he was, he was afraid to go back to sleep.

When Sue and Sid came down, Thursday morning less than 10 hours from their fight with the Nian, they found Tobey sleeping in a booth. They woke him up and Nana offered to let them all stay home from school just for the one day. They needed a day's rest after getting very little sleep.

But they all wanted to go to school, even Tobey so they hurried and got ready. Everyone but Tobey had breakfast. Even the eggs and toast looked like bloody frosting to him. He threw on some dirty clothes and jumped on his bike to leave before the others were ready.

Sue rode her bike to school too. Nana took Sid in the car, and planned on taking the car back to storage the next day, on Friday. Sid insisted he could ride his bike again. If she would have let him, he would have ridden it to school with Sue.

Nana picked all three of them up and took them home with Sue's and Tobey's bikes in the trunk again. She scolded Sid, who had taken his splint off his leg at some point during school. He said he left it in his locker. When they got home she told the kids to go lie down and rest until the deliveries started. Sid had a night off from having to make deliveries.

Tobey did all his deliveries and made sure he got back in time to take more deliveries; especially to take any that would have been Sid's. He didn't steal bites from any of the deliveries either so he got some really good tips. Tobey left all the tip money he got for all of his deliveries on the foot of Sid's bed in their room, his own tips too. Sid would find the money when he woke up.

When Mr. Wu closed for the night, Tobey went upstairs and went to bed without saying anything to anyone. Nana and Sue saw that he had dark circles under his eyes. They stayed downstairs for a bit trying to figure out how they could help him. Nana checked with Barney and Calvin and as far as they knew, Tobey had had nothing to eat or drink at Wu's. Sue reported she had not seen him eat anything, even at school, or at all since they came home from the battle with the Nian.

Tobey was taking this all way too hard. Nana decided she would keep him home from school the next day. It was Friday and she asked Sue if she would bring his homework home for him. They all separated and went to bed. Sue went by the boy's room first. Sid had been asleep since they got home from school. The lights were out, but she could hear Sid breathing softly, like he was asleep. It didn't sound like Tobey was asleep, it sounded like he was crying.

Sue slipped into the boy's room and next to Tobey's bed. "Tobey? What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He sniffled and pulled the comforter over his head. Not knowing what to say, or how to help him, she went back to her bed and thought about what to do for him until she drifted off to sleep.

Friday morning, Nana took Sid and Sue to school, with their bikes. Sid really wanted to ride his bike to school, but Nana had talked him into one more ride in the car, at least his leg would have a few more hours to heal before he started to stress it. Nana warned him to take it easy and come straight home after school. After she had them safely at school she took the car back to storage.

Nana arrived home in a cab to find Tobey was gone. After time for his first class to start, she called the school to see if he was there and he wasn't. Nana called his phone and of course he didn't answer, she didn't really expect him to.

Nana made her tea and sat down in a booth to think about Tobey. She was very concerned that he was still not eating. He had been punished when he was very young by his real parents withholding food from him, and she thought this behavior was probably related, but it was no excuse. Nana had discussed this with him many times since the three came to live with her, and now, most of the time, Tobey loved to eat. She vowed by this evening he would eat if she had to hold him down for Sue to spoon feed him.

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Tobey had gone to the beach, he sat under a pier and watched the seagulls and waves, and ships going and coming almost all day. He stayed alert and watched for any sign of trouble, since he was hanging around alone in one of Kong Li's favorite places to scheme, but fortunately nothing bad happened. Tobey thought about Kong Li and realized, his hands were shaking, not from fear, but from being too hungry. He thought if Kong Li had appeared, he was too weak to fight him, or even run away very fast. He sat there and thought about it for a little while.

When Tobey saw it was getting close to time for the other's to get out of school, he started worrying about going home himself but he wasn't quite ready to get up yet. Nana would be mad he just disappeared like he did.

********* ********* ********* *********

Nana called Sue and Sid when she knew they would be out of class. She told them that Tobey had not been home all day and was worried. They told her they would look for him on the way home. In fact, Sue said she would not come home without him. Sid said, "Ditto." Nana told Sid to be careful with his leg.

After riding around for almost two hours, Sid's leg was getting tired. Fortunately they finally found Tobey at the pier after Sue spotted his bike from the street. They went to what they thought were his favorite places first, the bakery, the game room, the electronics store. The pier was a new place to find him.

Sue and Sid sat down in the sand quietly on either side of Tobey. He looked up at them and smiled, it was the first time they could remember him smiling in days. "Sid! You are back on your bike already?"

"Sure, my leg is as good as new." Sid lied a little.

Sue asked Tobey how he was feeling. He admitted to being a little weak and dizzy and having a whopper of a headache. Sue scolded him, "It is because you haven't eaten anything in days, and your headache is probably from dehydration." Tobey was finally ready to admit that maybe he should eat something.

Sid told him, "You can't afford to get any skinnier, you are already such a shrimp!" Tobey pretended to punch him in the arm.

Sue, Sid and Tobey rode the short distance back up from the beach, to Mr. Wang's hot dog stand on the corner. A familiar dark, caped figure was watching, and followed them up the hill staying in the shadows.

Sid got Tobey a bottle of water and he downed it while the vendor, Mr. Wang made him a veggie dog with all the fixins. Sid handed Tobey the hot dog and an extra big bag of chips. Tobey started to take a bite, but he saw Sid's blood, mixed in frosting, smeared on the hot dog. He immediately dropped it and doubled over gagging.

"Tobey?" Sue looked concerned and Sid, who was closest, steadied him by holding him under his arms until he stopped gagging. People on the street stared at them, and gave the hot dog stand a wide berth. Mr. Wang told the kids to go away, they were ruining his business.

********* ********* ********* *********

Sue got a handful of damp napkins from Mr. Wang, promising they would leave, and Sid lifted Tobey into a standing position and looked into his face, "Are you OK?"

Tobey said "Yah," and blushed, he was so embarrassed. Sue handed him the towels and he wiped off his face. He had brought up all the water he had just drunk. Sid got him another water bottle, and made him drink it as they moved away from Mr. Wang's.

Sue and Sid were worried about Tobey. He was already dehydrated and he was about to get some more exercise riding home. The water stayed down as long as he didn't look at food. They all three got on their bikes and started off, but right before them standing in the crowd was Kong Li. The kids stopped abruptly.

"Oh man! There are too many people here!" Sid whispered to Sue.

Sue observed, "Someone will get hurt if we tangle with him here and Tobey is not feeling well, we gotta get away."

Tobey started to object that he was fine, but they were already riding. They turned right in front of Kong Li and went down an alley and then turned into another alley that went back toward the wharf. All these buildings were two or three story warehouses and storage and there was no one around. Kong Li moved almost like he was floating and followed them. They didn't go to this area very often, and Sid took them around a corner that looked unfamiliar. Too late, they saw it was a dead end.

Tobey, Sue and Sid rode to the end of the alley. There were walls on both sides; no windows or doors and they had long past the last fire escape ladders. Kong Li was already between them and the last ladder.

There was a very tall chain-link fence closing off the end and beyond it was a dirt lot where a lot of heavy equipment was stored. The fence looked like it was twenty feet tall, including several coils of razor wire at the top. Heavy wooden crates of different sizes sat around, some out in the middle, others by the wall, but none were close enough to help them get over the fence. They got off their bikes and rolled them to the side.

"Let's go over! …You up for it Tobey?" Sid winced as he picked up his injured leg high enough to get a toehold in the fence. Tobey saw Sid's discomfort and said "If you are?" He was concerned Sid would hurt himself again. Before he started up the fence behind them, he looked at his bike and briefly hoped his bike was out of Kong Li's sight.

Tobey looked back down the alley, and Kong Li was getting way too close. He started climbing up the fence behind Sue and Sid. Sid had already made it to the razor wire, and was moving to the side in hopes of releasing the sharp stuff from the side, to make a space for them to get over without getting cut.

"Tobey! Are you alright?" Sue yelled down at him,

"I am fine, I'm right behind you!" Tobey was feeling faint, but he sucked it up and climbed up higher right behind Sue. Kong Li got to the fence and hit Tobey in the back of the leg with the dragon's head on his staff. Tobey cried out and kicked back at him. Kong Li grabbed his ankle and pulled. Tobey screamed as he lost his grip on the chain link and fell.

Sid and Sue heard Tobey scream as Kong Li pulled him off the fence. They both looked back down in time to see Kong Li step aside to let Tobey fall on the asphalt.

"TOBEY!" they screamed as he hit the ground. He gasped trying to catch his breath and Kong Li pounced on him and yanked him up before he could get away. Kong Li spun Tobey around in his arms and trapped him with his staff. He was holding Tobey with the staff under his chin, pressing on his throat. Kong Li backed away from Sue and Sid who had both jumped back down off the fence. Tobey had his hands on the staff too, trying to push it away.

"Let him go!" Sue screamed at Kong Li. Sid growled.

"Alright! I will let him go." Kong Li grinned.

"Juo-Ifu-ion!" Even before he finished casting the spell, the red staff glowed with a nasty colored green glow and waves of energy lashed out from along the shaft. The skin on Tobey's neck lit up, reflecting the green glow. The waves sparked and made a 'zap' sound and Tobey opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His arms fell limp at his side.

"Now I will let him go, little Sue Yi." Sue and Sid gasped as Kong Li pushed Tobey away from him. Tobey landed on his stomach coughing and he weakly put both hands to his neck. Sue went to him, and Sid attacked Kong Li.

Sue bent down next to Tobey and lifted one arm to put it over her shoulders. She helped him to the side and sat him down by the wall. "Stay here-be right back!" She ran to help Sid. Tobey fainted and fell over on his side.

Sid was trying to get up from being hit for the third time by Kong Li's staff. A streak of blood from the wound in his thigh had soaked through his pants. Kong Li charged again while Sid still struggled to get up. Sue rammed Kong Li from the side and knocked him away from Sid. Sid got up and joined her. The siblings turned to face their enemy.

Sue charged Kong Li first and landed a hard kick in his shoulder. She landed behind him. Kong Li nearly dropped his staff, but recovered quickly, and ignoring her he ran at Sid again. Kong Li deflected Sid's punch and brought the heavy, dragon-headed end of his staff across Sid's leg where he saw the little streak of blood. It tore through Sid's pants and made fresh blood splatter. Sid screamed and dropped back down on the ground holding his leg.

"SID!" Sue jumped and landed on Kong Li's back with both feet. Kong Li fell foreword and landed stretched out on his stomach next to Sid. Sue landed over Kong Li's feet. When she stopped for an instant to look down at Sid, Kong Li swiftly rolled and kicked Sue's legs out from under her. As she fell, Kong Li jumped up and smiled at her.

"I took those meddlesome boys down, now for you."

Sid growled, "No-Sue!" and struggled hard to get up.

Sue was already up and facing Kong Li in her defensive stance. Kong Li poured pink liquid out of a vial into the palm of his hand.

"Kah-dur-isch" Kong Li tossed the liquid toward Sue and the pink liquid formed into strands, which formed a thin, short rope as it flew at her. It wrapped around her wrist and pulled her to the fence. The other end wrapped through and around several squares, up high in the chain link.

Sue screamed as it tightened, securing her wrist to the fence. She dug at it using the fingernails on her free hand, but it was as strong as the steel fence it had tied her to. The fence swayed as she struggled with her hand tied high over her head. Her toes barely touched the ground.

Kong Li was moving back toward Sid again. Sue fought harder, "Sid-Look out!" Sid rolled away and jumped up on one leg. He was sort of standing, holding onto the fence over a few feet from Sue.

"Tobey!"

"Help us!"

Sue and Sid both looked over at Tobey, he was still unconscious. "Tobey." Sue called again as she looked at him, she noticed his neck still glowed green.

"Young Tobey won't be helping you anymore." Kong Li poured out some more of his pink stuff, and flung it at Sid, "Kah-dur-isch."

Sid saw it coming, and jumped to the side between a small crate and the fence. The pink strand still caught him by his injured leg, flipped him over and pulled him close to the fence. He landed on his back and the pink strand lifted his leg in the air. It wrapped around the fence and tied his leg up as it had Sue's wrist. It lifted his hip off the ground as it tightened around his calf and knee. His leg hurt, but he screamed in frustration.

Tobey woke up when he heard his friend's screams. First, he saw Sid hanging from his bleeding leg on the fence. Sid was gritting his teeth as he tried not to continue screaming. Kong Li was standing over him, poking him with his staff. "Tell me where your Nana keeps her recipes and you might live through this."

Sid caught the end of the staff and screamed, "Get this pressure off my leg!" he exhaled and put his head back. Sid's hand slipped from the staff in defeat. Sid started breathing very fast as shock threatened to set in. Kong Li was laughing. Sue looked at her brother and clawed at the pink strand that restrained her. As she realized she could do nothing to help him, tears welled up in her eyes.

Tobey looked at Sue and she had tears running down her face as she struggled to get free. She kept crying out for Sid and Tobey but she didn't look over at him. I have to stop Kong Li from hurting them even more. Tobey thought as he called Nana.

When she answered he found he couldn't speak to her, so he texted, "Alley behind Fulton and 2nd – help us!" Nana grabbed her bag and ran for the door. Tobey turned off his phone so it wouldn't ring and attract Kong Li's attention.

Kong Li paid no attention to Tobey, thinking he was no longer a threat. Really, Tobey didn't feel like much of a threat but he was determined to save his best friends. His rage over Kong Li hurting his only family gave him the power he needed to move. Tobey was very weak and he staggered a little as he moved along the wall in the shadows. He listened to Kong Li's voice as he threatened Sue and Sid.

Sue saw Tobey moving around. She yelled back at Kong Li, to be sure he kept his attention on her. "What kind of big tough guy do you think you are, tying us up with magic? Let me down so I can kick your ass."

Kong Li just laughed at her. "My Little Sue Yi, you have always been impressed by my magic haven't you? You will be interested to know, my magic is going to do more than restrain you." Kong Li laughed maniacally and took a step closer to Sid. "It is going to make you tell me where the book is!"

"So why don't you just save us all some time and tell me where the recipes are? If you don't, my magic will kill you all, starting with HIM!" Kong Li pointed his staff at Sid.

No… Sid, Sue! Angry tears welled up in Tobey's eyes as he climbed up a tall crate behind Kong Li.

"You are too weak to have a chance this time. You will all be finally and permanently out of my way forever. I have the Nian to thank for this victory, don't I Sid? With two of your little 'team' weakened you were not much of a threat."

"What do you know? Two of us weren't 'weakened!' I was the only one who got hurt!" Sid shot back.

"Don't be ridiculous, I know how, or should I say who hurt you-and why. I think Tobey's far worse off than you are – that is why you have no chance of beating me here!"

What, he is saying he is beating us because of ME? No way I will let that happen! Tobey kept climbing and reached the top of the crate. He rolled onto his back on top of it and laid there panting a moment. He was up higher than the top of Kong Li's head right below him.

Tobey heard Kong Li say, "Juo-Ifu-ion!" again. Tobey rolled onto his stomach and looked over the edge of the crate just in time to see him bringing the glowing staff close to Sue's skin in the middle of her stomach. She gritted her teeth and tried not to cry out, but she could already feel the burning energy.

Tobey gathered himself up and jumped on Kong Li's back before it touched her. Kong Li dropped the staff and Sue put her free hand over her stomach and panted. "Tobey, No…" Sue could see how weak Tobey was and she gasped when Kong Li stepped back and slammed Tobey against the large crate he had just jumped from. He pulled Tobey off his back and pushed him by his shoulders into the crate.

Kong Li put his face very close to Tobey's face, "I think for you, I will change my plan a little. I will use one of them in your place. Your friends will be more cooperative after they watch you die!"

Tobey opened his mouth with a good threat, but no sound came out. A wave of nausea came over him and he nearly passed out. His head fell forward for a second before he looked back up at Kong Li. He feebly punched at Kong Li's arms, but Kong Li held him easily with only one hand while he took more of the pink liquid out.

"Kah-dur-isch." He said as he poured it out right in mid-air in front of him. It floated and formed a flat, round disk. It swiftly flew to Tobey's face and clamped on, closing off his mouth and nose.

Kong Li released his hold on his shoulder and he slid down the front of the crate struggling with the pink disk on his face. He tried to get his fingers under the edges, but it was too tightly attached. Tobey couldn't breathe! He panicked and rolled forward to try to run to Sue, but only fell again. He rolled onto his back and kicked with his feet as he tried to peel it off with both hands. Sue could see how frantic his eyes looked and she knew what was going on.

"OH NO! Tobey!" she growled as she struggled, she pulled on her wrist even after she was sure she had broken it, but couldn't get loose. She screamed hysterically. Sid couldn't see around the corner of a wooden crate to see Tobey from his position, but he could see Sue. "Tobey?" he looked at Sue. "Sue! What's going on?"

"Sid!-Tobey can't breathe!" Sid gasped and pulled harder on the strands holding his leg to the fence. Kong Li stood nearby grinning from ear to ear. Sue screamed, "Stop this! I will tell you where the recipes are!"

Kong Li laughed and said, "Yes, you will – but first let's watch the end of Tobey shall we?"

Sue watched as Tobey stopped fighting and his hands fell away from the pink disk that covered his mouth and nose. Tobey's head fell back on the asphalt. Sue screamed at Tobey, and then at Kong Li, and Sid knew what had happened. He got tears in his eyes and put his arms crossed over his face.

There was a whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound over their heads. The siblings were too upset to even notice the sound, but Kong Li looked up just in time to see the bottom of Nana's shoe as it came down on his face. Nana landed gracefully next to where he fell. She swiftly went to Tobey's side and, and pulled some blue powder out of her bag.

Kong Li got up holding his broken nose, "Mei Hua! I have wasted enough time here. I will leave you to cry over the loss of one of your little rejects." He picked up his staff and ran from the alley.

Nana sprinkled some of the powder on the pink disk. It melted and shriveled up like salt on a pink slug. Nana calmly took a handkerchief from her bag and wiped it off Tobey's face with one hand, while she put her other hand in the middle of his chest. Tobey coughed and started breathing again.

Nana paused with a very concerned look on her face when she saw the green spot still glowing dimly on his neck. She shook herself back to the task at hand and moved to release Sue so she could help get Sid off the fence. Once loose, Sue held her wrist and ran to Sid. She held Sid's hips up higher, releasing the pressure on his leg with one hand while Nana sprinkled the pink strands that bound him. It shriveled up and Sue lowered him gently while Nana guided his re-injured leg down.

"Thanks- But Tobey?" Sid asked. Sue cradled her wrist and went to Tobey's side. He was still unconscious, but breathing just fine. Sue sat down on the ground next to him.

"Tobey will be fine." Nana answered. She sprinkled more herbs from a different jar on Sid's leg. "You have torn out your stitches, Sid."

"I had a little help from Kong Li." Sid blushed. "With me a bit slower than usual and Tobey not feeling well Kong Li completely over powered us! Nana! Tobey was feeling weak and had a headache before all this started. We tried to feed him and he hurled and Sue has a broken wrist. Oh man…" Sid fell back exhausted.

"I know Sid. Try not to worry. Come on." Nana got up and stood next to Sid. She held her hand down for him to grab it and she helped him up. Nana helped him limp over to Tobey's side. When they got there Tobey was waking up. He put his hand to his head and opened his eyes. Sue leaned forward and looked at him. "How are you feeling?"

Tobey opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came again. He looked at Nana with scared wide eyes. "It will be alright Tobey, can you stand?"

Sue asked, "What's wrong with him? Why can't he speak?" she was helping him get up.

"He is still being affected by one of Kong Li's spells. We have to get him home where I have a better chance of figuring out which one and reversing it."

Tobey was standing but his knees were shaking. Nana took out her phone and called a cab while they made their way to the end of the alley. She looked at them, all three were injured this time and she felt so sad. Something had to be done about Kong Li. Nana came up in-between Sid and Tobey to help them. Sue had Tobey's other side. The kids sat down on a crate close to the sidewalk where the cab would pull up. Nana stood close by. It was dark and other people mostly passed by without seeing them while they waited for their cab.

"I will make you something to eat when we get back to the restaurant that will make you feel much better, Tobey." He looked appreciative as he smiled at her.

Sid spoke up, "Nana-how did you get here? You came out of nowhere!"

"The usual way, you were distracted Sid. More important, do you remember seeing what Kong Li did to Tobey?"

"He was holding him with his staff pressed against his throat, it was glowing a bright green color. Sid lifted Tobey's jaw to look at the green still visible on his neck. Tobey was apprehensive but allowed Nana to see it again.

"Kong Li said "Juo-Fi, oh Nana, I can't remember the spell!" Sue exclaimed.

"It's alright Sue, I am sure we will find which one it was." The cab pulled up and they helped each other get in. The cab driver's mouth fell open when he saw them all and Nana told him, "They had a rough football game after school!"

The cab driver nodded, and told them to keep the blood off the seats.

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[Tobee continued…]


	3. Chapter 3 pulling together

When Friend's Attack pt 3 Pulling Together

By Crystalquirt

Author's note: did you know there is a folk remedy for treating jellyfish stings that involve peeing on them? LOL? (Don't worry, the gang from Three Delivery are not going to use urine.

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When they got home from their fight in the alley with Kong Li, Sid went straight up to take a shower. Nana, Tobey and Sue went to the storeroom. Nana pulled books off the shelf and stacked them in Tobey's arms. When she had him loaded up, she told him, "Take these up to my room. We will meet there in a few minutes to figure out what Kong Li did to you, Tobey." Sue put as many books as she could into a plastic grocery bag so she could carry them up with one hand.

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As Sid got undressed in the bathroom, he tossed another pair of torn pants to the side. "Another pair bites the dust!" Sid thought, at this rate it would only be another couple of days and he would have big patches in all his pants or no pants to wear at all. He remembered Tobey's silk pants and reaffirmed his vow to not wear them, even if he has no pants to wear. He shuddered at the thought of having to run around in his underwear and smiled to himself. The hot water from the shower washed away all the dried blood from his leg and really, his injury didn't look all that bad. He hoped Nana agreed.

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Tobey was worried about Sid. So as soon as he put the books on Nana's bed, he went back down the hall to their room to check on him. Sid was still in the shower so he sat back on his own bed to wait. Nana came in soon after and sat on Sid's bed across from Tobey's. She patted the comforter next to her to indicate she wanted Tobey to come sit by her. She turned on the light on Sid's nightstand. "The light is better over here. How are you feeling, Tobey?"

Tobey smiled and nodded yes, he felt ok, and he sat down next to her. Nana put her finger under his chin to get him to put his head back. She looked closely at his neck and put her hand over the affected area to feel it. It was still a very bright, sickening green color. The area felt very cool when she touched it.

"This looks familiar to me somehow, I am sure I have seen it before. Open your mouth." He did, and she looked down his throat. There was no green visible down his throat. Nana continued looking for signs behind his neck. Tobey closed his mouth. Nana saw he was staring at the bathroom door and looked very worried.

"I am sure you will be fine. As you know, a lot of magic will wear off on its own. We just want to figure out what this is so maybe we can help it wear off faster. I miss hearing your voice, Tobey."

Tobey smiled at her but shook his head, no. "What is it?" Nana asked him. Tobey pointed at the bathroom door where Sid was showering.

"Oh, you are worried about Sid." Tobey had tears in his eyes again as he looked at Nana and nodded. "Sid will be fine too. Try not to worry." Tobey wanted so bad to talk, to tell them how bad he felt that Sid was hurt, again! They should have been at Wu's where they would have been safe from Kong Li and not down at the pier looking for him. Sid and Sue both needed to give their injuries from the battle with the Nian time to heal. Tobey was feeling guilty about running off, instead of staying home to talk to Nana when she kept him home from school. Now Sue was hurt more seriously again and Kong Li almost won the fight! Why was he so good at putting his friends in danger lately? If Nana had not shown up when she did…

Nana interrupted his thoughts, "Tobey, when Sid comes out, he will need an ice pack on his leg to help reduce the swelling. Can you go get a bagful from the kitchen and wrap it in a towel for him? Please meet us in my room, ok?" Tobey nodded and left to go get the ice.

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Not all of the stitches had come out and it had stopped bleeding, mostly. Sid patted his wounded thigh dry with a big wad of toilet paper before he put on his boxers. The wound was still leaking blood mixed with clear fluid where Kong Li's staff had ripped open a new place. At least it didn't look infected. He pulled his tank top over his head before stepping out of the bathroom with his head down rubbing his hair with a towel. There were feet in front of where he was walking. He looked up to find he was face to face with Nana. She smiled at him and had him sit on the bed to look at his leg.

"You are right; it does not look TOO bad." She actually agreed with him! Sid was relieved she was not going to make him go back to the doctor. Nana put a thin layer of an herb paste she had made for him around the wound and wrapped gauze around his leg. After she had it all taped in place Nana told him they were meeting in her room to find the antidote for Tobey's problem.

"What about Sue? Is she alright?"

"I think so, she is already looking through the recipes for the antidote for Tobey and she insists her wrist is ok. If it is not better in the morning I will take her for an x-ray. Go on and join her – I will be along soon." Sid agreed and tucked his shirt into his shorts before he went to Nana's room. Nana saw that he limped only a little as he went and was sure he would be fine in a couple of days as long as he could keep from fighting hard again right away.

Nana left the boy's room after Sid and went straight back down to the storeroom to mix some herbs in a hot broth for Tobey. She got the book of magic recipes from its hiding place and put the mug of broth and water on it like a tray.

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Upstairs, in Nana's room, Sue sat on the floor at the foot of Nana's bed sorting books into piles and taking notes of page numbers with information to show to Nana. Sid sat down next to the bed and watched her for a moment. He saw Sue was being careful to only use one hand. She cradled her injured wrist in her lap. Sid sat with his injured leg stretched out and bent forward doing some toe touches before grabbing a book.

Tobey came in and put the ice pack he made on Sid's leg. He made one for Sue too, and placed it in her lap over her wrist. "Thanks Tobey! You are being awfully nice." Tobey sat down next to Sid by Nana's night stand he put his hand behind Sid's back like he was going to hug him. Sid felt a handful of ice cubes slide down in the back of his shirt. He squealed and arched his back. He hurried and untucked his shirt, and the ice fell out. Sid grabbed Tobey around his shoulders to hold him still while he stuck a wet finger in his ear. Tobey would have been yelling – if he could have. Instead he started tickling Sid.

Sue smiled quickly, but then put on her best angry face and yelled at them "Stop it! We have work to do! Sid! You are going to hurt your leg – and Tobey… um – I don't know what you will hurt, but roughhousing can't be good for you right now either." Tobey had Sid pinned on his back, Sid was trying to grab his hands. They both stopped and looked at Sue from their tangled position on the floor.

Tobey got off and Sid sat up. "Sorry Sue. You wanna share some of those books?" Sue handed him the two that were the closest to him. He handed one to Tobey. Sid had been watching Sue and saw that she was still not using her wrist at all. She winced as she repositioned it with her other hand like it really hurt. "Sue. You probably should get your wrist fixed! You need a doctor, what if…"

Sue glared at him and interrupted, "What about you? Your leg looks like it might fall off! We need to put our injuries aside and find a way to reverse the spell or recipe that's affecting Tobey! What if it isn't done working yet and it gets worse and worse-we don't know what it will do to him or what we are dealing with here! AND you two are wrestling and messing around like nothing is wrong!" Sue's voice cracked a little as she finished and Sid looked at the floor. "I'm sorry Mei-Mei."

Tobey gasped silently and covered his mouth with both hands. Big, dark brown, wet eyes filled with worry looked at Sue and then at Sid. Sue giggled nervously, "Sorry Tobey! I didn't mean anything-I am sure you will be fine no matter how long this takes."

Sid tried to lighten the mood, "The silence is kind of a nice change with Tobey not being able to whine at us with that annoying voice of his for a while." He put one arm around Tobey's shoulders and hugged him to his side. Tobey sorta smiled at him and played like he was going to punch him, trying to hide how scared he really was.

Nana appeared in the doorway and saw tears in Tobey's eyes. "What's going on in here? Is everything ok?" Nana stepped between the kids on the floor and sat cross-legged on the bed in front of her pillows. Her books of magic and the recipes were spread out around her. "Sure Nana, everything is fine." Tobey shook his head no… he didn't agree with Sid, nothing was fine. Sid put his hand on his shoulder and told him, "Everything IS fine, we will fix this."

"Here Tobey, drink all of this, slowly." She handed Tobey the water and sat the hot broth on the nightstand next to him.

Tobey gulped the water and in seconds the liter bottle was already over half gone. Nana stopped him, and told him to take it slow so he didn't make himself sick. He sat it down for a moment, but picked it back up as soon as Nana's attention went to the others. He was so thirsty, and so hungry he was feeling shaky and had a tremendous headache.

Nana spoke first, "Most urgently, we need to find the recipe or spell that is affecting Tobey. Sue is already looking through spells, and Sid, I want you to help her. I will look for a recipe, but you two look carefully – I think it was most likely a spell and not a recipe that Kong Li placed on him."

Tobey looked worried again, hearing the word 'urgently'. Of course he wanted to talk- badly, but thinking that it was 'urgent' reminded him of what Sue said about not knowing what else it might do. Would it spread- will he lose other abilities? He started over-thinking it - what if my tongue stops working, or if I couldn't swallow? Tobey's hands went around his neck and held on like his head would fall off. What if I couldn't breathe? What if…

"Tobey!" Nana called him back. She could tell he was going someplace scary and useless-even if only in his mind. "Do not worry Tobey, we will figure this out and until we do, I have several herbs and recipes for remedies that should make you feel much better." Tobey smiled at her and finished off the rest of the water.

"Nana, how did you know how to get rid of the spell that suffocated Tobey and tied us to the fence?" Sue asked.

"That was a recipe. The Pink Licorice Recipe, the liquid he carried can be mixed up weeks ahead of time. Its power is invoked by chanting, 'Kah-dur-isch.' I recognized it immediately. It was one of Kong Li's favorites when we were young. The antidote for that is dried Fennel powder, with a touch of coriander. We already have that recipe in our collection, but unfortunately he knows it by heart, and I had never seen him use it so ruthlessly. Until now, I didn't think it was a lethal recipe. At least we already know how to reverse that one. For now, we need to figure out what he did to Tobey, I think it is a simple spell, but to reverse it we need to know which one it is."

Sue and Sid went back to reading. Tobey started to pick up another book to look too, but was interrupted by Nana. She thought since the water had stayed down maybe he could handle the broth now. Anxious to see if he could drink it, Sue leaned over so she could see Tobey from where she sat, and Sid looked up from what he was reading.

"Tobey, try this. Sip it slowly!" He smiled and took it from her and smelled it, it smelled wonderful. Like ginger and curry and maybe a little of his Chinese 10 spice! As soon as it touched his lips his stomach muscles tightened in a spasm and he put the cup down. The green glow on his neck intensified and started pulsing. His stomach muscles spasmed again, harder and he doubled over breathing very fast.

"Tobey!" Sid, who was sitting right next to him, caught him around his shoulders and lowered him to the floor, guiding his head to rest on his leg. Sid looked up at Nana. "Nana! What's happening to him?"

Sue stood up and was watching from the foot of the bed. Nana uncrossed her legs and reached down to put her hand on his shoulder. "Tobey? I wish you could tell me what you are feeling." Stomach pain made Tobey curl up tighter into a fetal position and squeeze his eyes shut. "Do you feel like you're going to throw up?"

Tobey shook his head, no, and gritted his teeth as another spasm came and went. Sid felt a little relieved that Tobey wasn't sick to his stomach, since he was practically in his lap.

"Nana! Maybe we should take him to the hospital? He is in pain!" Sue hated seeing Tobey in pain.

Tobey opened his eyes and looked at Nana, frantically shaking his head NO! "It's ok Tobey. I don't think you need to go to the hospital. We need to figure out what magic is doing this and we can do that right here. Promise you will let us know if it gets worse, and you want to go." He kept shaking his head after he closed his eyes again.

"But Nana?" Sue began to object. "Don't worry Sue, if he gets worse, or needs to go for any reason – we will take him. Right now, his condition is from Kong Li's magic. A hospital won't know what to do with magic and could only provide supportive care while they ask a lot of questions." Nana asked Sue to get a cup of water from the bathroom sink – she wanted it quickly. Sue ran out.

Sid reasoned, "This can't all be from Kong Li's spell. Tobey was already sick at the hot dog stand, before we encountered Kong Li."

Sue came right back, and heard his statement. She handed Nana the water. "After we stopped at the hot dog stand was when we SAW him. Kong Li could have been standing there the whole time we were at the hot dog stand or even before that. He could have seen Tobey sitting under pier and put a spell on him there, before we ever got there. He could have put a spell on the hot dog or even on the hot dog vender, Mr. Wang." Sue was desperate to find the cause of Tobey's affliction.

While Sue spoke, Nana added several drops of clear liquid from a small soy sauce bottle. She handed the cup down to Sid and instructed him to get it into Tobey. Sid sat him up a little and held the cup up to his lips. Tobey drank it without trouble a few sips at a time. Sid let him lay back down with his head back on his leg. "What was that, Nana?"

"All Natural. Works like a strong dose of aspirin without the side effects his muscles will relax too. It will help Tobey to feel better in a few moments. Sid watched Tobey and waited.

Sue and Nana traded books and ideas. Tobey's stomach stopped spasming and he seemed more relaxed, but now he started shivering. Tobey wrapped his arms around himself as though it was extremely cold in the room. "Sue, can you get him a blanket?" Sue ran to the boy's bedroom for Tobey's comforter and handed it to Sid. Sid covered Tobey up.

"Nana, what do you think? We can be pretty sure Kong Li's spell took away Tobey's ability to talk, because we watched it happen. Could it be keeping him sick too? At the pier he said he was hungry, and was looking forward to eating."

"But he had not eaten since his fight with the Nian."

"Since he WAS a Nian. He did eat right before that, as a dog. Nana, could it have something to do with him being a Nian, or even the transformation to a dog?"

"It could be. Sue hand me back the two books you have with cookie recipes in them."

"Hey! Wait!" Sue interrupted, "is this it?" Tobey picked up his head and watched her. Nana took the book from her being careful to keep it open to the right page. "No Sue, this one takes a while to take effect, from what you told me, Kong Li did something that was more spectacular and he still has that lingering green tinge to the skin on his neck. This one says it has no outward appearance and only lasts about an hour."

They were all disappointed. Tobey put his head back down and Sid continued. "He had not eaten since the Nian attacked. I thought it was because he was upset." He felt Tobey nod his head in agreement.

"When we found him at the pier, he seemed much happier, especially when he saw I was able to ride again. He was ready to eat." Sid said, and Tobey shook his head yes. Nana leaned down to him and put her hand on his forehead.

"It appears he would still like to eat, but when he tries he has a physical reaction. Tobey, are you feeling any better?" Tobey nodded yes and he had stopped shivering.

"I think first we need to find the recipe Kong Li used, and then we will know what its affects might be." Sid and Sue looked back in the books in their laps and surrounding them on the floor. After only a few minutes Sue thought she found what they were looking for again, but after Nana examined it, was sure it was not the right one. So they kept on looking. Sid had two books open. One on the leg Tobey's head wasn't on, and the other he held open in his arms. He kept looking back and forth between them, comparing symptoms.

After about an hour, Nana said softly, "Tobey? Wake up." Sid looked around the edge of the book he held to see Tobey. He had gone to sleep with his head on Sid's leg. Sid gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. Tobey lifted his head and looked around and at Nana. She saw the green area was pulsing like light on his neck but had faded in intensity.

"Guess Nana's remedy did help you relax." Sid observed.

"Sid, can you help Tobey to bed? Be sure he is covered up and warm."

Tobey shook his head no and he looked worried again. Nana guessed, "You don't want to be alone." He shook his head yes. You kids can all go to bed now, Sid you keep an eye on Tobey, you will be right there if he needs something. Sid nodded.

"No Nana, I want to stay and help find the recipes and antidotes that we need for Tobey!" Sue argued.

"Alright Sue, for a while yet. You boys go ahead and get some rest." Sue turned her attention back to the books. Sid and Tobey got up. Tobey was unsteady. Nana watched, and counted, it had been three days since he ate anything. She thought if she couldn't find the antidote very soon, he would be seriously ill and really would need treatment, and supportive care at the hospital. Nana concentrated harder on the book in front of her.

After a while and with Sid and Tobey safely out of earshot, Nana said, "Sue, I remembered something and this book just confirmed what I suspected. I didn't want to say anything more in front of Tobey. I think it is worse than a spell to take away speech – that may have only been a side effect. Here, start with this book. I will look in this one."

Sue looked at Nana with renewed fear. "Nana, what do you think it was? How can we help him?"

"We may have to improvise again. Look for a recipe that intensifies fear, we will start with that. There is one I remember hearing about while I was in school. It is from a long time ago and it causes hallucinations in the victims of whatever they are the most afraid of. Fears can manifest physically too, like Tobey's inability to eat. At first after he had become a Nian after eating the recipe, he was afraid to eat. He made himself miserable, thinking it was his carelessness that made him hurt Sid. This recipe that I am trying to think of can take ideas like that or things from your dreams and make them real."

"I understand Nana. Tobey has had nightmares since Sid was hurt. He won't speak of them, but we know he is beating himself up for tasting the dog food while he was a dog. Right after that he didn't want to eat. When he disappeared that day, he still had not eaten anything and was so upset. Kong Li may have been watching him and cast the spell, knowing how upset he was he wanted to make sure it was crippling, so that he would not battle as well when he attacked us."

"Kong Li appeared right in front of us on a crowded sidewalk. He could have been following Tobey the whole day! It is just like him to do something so sneaky. He may have even watched our fight with the Nian."

"You are right Sue. Now that I think about it, Tobey really isn't that bad. His inability to control himself that night probably came from the recipe that I used to make the transformation cookie. Remember, I had to improvise a little on that too. As a human, he would not have tasted the recipe, but after the transformation, his dog instinct took over more than I meant for it too. That was an undesirable side effect and was not intended. Then as a Nian, he completely lost himself."

"Wow, knowing that will make him feel a lot better! Then he will know it was not his fault that he tasted the recipe, it was not his decision to taste the dog food that put us in danger. Maybe his nightmares will stop, since we can say it was your fault."

"Well, I don't know about that Sue, but it is ok. If it will help him, tell him it is my fault. Kong Li used Tobey's state of mind, against him. He used the perfect spell to weaken him physically and mentally. If I am not mistaken the spell was cast by chanting, 'Juo-Ifu-ion!' Do you remember if that is what he said?"

"Yes Nana that is it. How do we help him?"

"If Tobey's fears are relieved, and the nightmares stop he should at least be able to eat and hopefully his ability to speak will return. If he controls his own mind and sees his fear for what it really is, fear of nothing – he may be able to stop the effect of this particular spell on his own. Knowing it may have been my cookies is bound to make him feel better right away. Let's wake him up and tell him."

But when Nana and Sue got to the boys room, Tobey was not in his bed! They woke Sid up and started downstairs to find him.

************************************************3D

When Sid and Tobey got to their room, Tobey kicked off his pants and stretched out on the bed with his comforter wrapped around him. "Are you ok, Tobey?" Tobey nodded and Sid turned out the light. The stomach cramps and shivering had not returned, but Tobey still felt so weak and hungry, he almost thought it would be worth it to try and eat again. But after Sid turned out the light, he decided to just lay there a while first and went to sleep almost immediately.

Tobey slept restlessly. He had dreams of bloody hot dogs and cutting an icing covered Sid up with a knife as before. He dreamt of hurting his friends at first, but it quickly turned into a nightmare about him falling and not being able to scream. That was a new part of the dream. Tobey tossed and turned in his sleep. He was not able to speak or scream as he fell, and he couldn't get anyone's attention as he was trapped and consumed by darkness in a confined space.

While he was trapped in the darkness. Kong Li was calling him weak, and blaming him for hurting Sid. Tobey couldn't scream back at him, but could see Sid was injured and still trying to fight with something unseen. Kong Li hit Tobey over and over, and he couldn't get away to help Sid. Tobey thrashed and pounded on the bed when even in his dream, he couldn't call to Sid or get away from Kong Li to go and help him. Kong Li vanished from his dream suddenly and he ran to Sid. Sid was struggling with some sort of monster and couldn't breathe. Kong Li reappeared behind him and pulled him away from Sid.

Then in his dream, instead of helping Sid, Sue joined Kong Li and they both attacked him! She grabbed Tobey's shoulders and started shaking him as she screamed threats at him. Tobey could still see Sid when he looked past her. Sid was terrified and begging breathlessly for Tobey to help him, but he couldn't get away from Sue and Kong Li. Tobey started punching at Sue to make her let him go so he could get to Sid. Kong Li grabbed him from behind.

Sue yelled "ow" and jumped back when Tobey's punches started connecting with her body. Sid put him in a bear hug from behind and yelled "Wake UP!" in his ear. Tobey finally woke up and looked around. He was in the garden with Sue and Sid holding onto him and looking very worried. Nana was standing in the doorway watching them.

"Tobey?" Sue was looking very concerned, "You were sleepwalking! Are you ok now?" Tobey still looked a little confused, but tried to say yes. Then he remembered he couldn't speak and nodded, yes. Sid let go of him and patted his back. They walked with him and went back in and now he was cold again, being outside in the cold night air in only his tank top and boxers.

"Come on you three. I want to talk you all of you. Let's go on in and sit in the dining room."

Sue was worried about Tobey and ran ahead to go upstairs to get his comforter for him again. He sat in the booth first with it wrapped around him. Sue sat next to him, and Nana and Sid sat on the other side. Tobey obediently raised his chin up so Nana could see his neck again when she settled in across from him. The dim green glow was still there, and had traveled almost all the way around. Nana suspected that the spell gained strength as a result of Tobey's intense dream. Tobey waited for one of them to speak with tears in his eyes. He was so tired, and was now sure he would just starve to death.

"Tobey, we think we found what the spell was. I need you to draw what your dreams have been about. Tobey shook his head no, and refused to pick up the colored pencils that Nana put in front of him with paper.

"Tobey, this will help, until you can tell us, we need you to draw it, or write about them. We need to be sure we address all of your concerns." He reluctantly picked up the pencil and drew a sick figure sideways like it was lying down. He drew a circle and wrote birthday cake on it. He pointed at it and then at Sid. Nana nodded. Sue and Sid looked at each other. Then he took the red pencil and drew red along the body of the figure representing Sid and drew a large knife over him. He drew another stick figure and indicted by pointing that it was him. He wrote, 'Sid is covered in icing, and I sliced him up with a knife.' Tobey blushed as Sue read it out loud.

Nana understood. "That is very upsetting isn't it?" Tobey nodded. "You are still blaming yourself for hurting Sid." He nodded again and drew another figure indicating it was him, and another one with its hands around the others throat and pointed at Sue. He wrote, 'Sue and Kong Li attacked me and wouldn't let me help Sid.'

"That's me? You dreamed I attacked you with Kong Li?" Sue took his hand in her's. "Tobey, we were never angry with you! – I would NEVER attack you and I would never join Kong Li in anything."

Sue continued, making sure Tobey was listening, "You will be so happy to hear - Nana said that you were not responsible for your actions as a Nian, or even as a dog when you tasted the recipe. Nana is sure the recipe she used to make the transformation cookie that turned you into a dog, affected your willpower and ability to make good decisions. If it was not for the cookie, you wouldn't have tasted the recipe and become a Nian. So see? It wasn't your fault that you gave in and tasted that recipe!"

Tobey smiled and looked at Nana. She nodded in agreement with what Sue said and got up to go to the kitchen. "See Tobey, we trust you and always have, we know we can count on you." Sid reassured him.

Sue gave his hand a squeeze. "Please forgive us, and forgive yourself! You did nothing wrong!" Tobey smiled at her, and then turned to watch Nana return to the table. She brought back some hot and sour soup for a now smiling, bright eyed Tobey. Nana, Sue and Sid all held their breath as they watched to see if Tobey could eat it. He put a spoonful up to his lips and let it drip into his mouth. He actually looked at his stomach to see if it was going to do anything.

"YAY!" they all cheered for him, "It went in!"

"…and its staying in!" Sid said before Tobey drank the rest right from the bowl. He held up the bowl to Nana wanting more.

"Wait just a few minutes. It has been almost three days since you ate. We don't want you to get sick just because you ate too much too fast." Nana gave his hand a squeeze before she got up to go to her room. "Will you two help Tobey? After a few minutes he can have more soup 'if he wants' and with any luck at all his voice will return." She told them goodnight.

Sue giggled, "If he wants? Hehehe, he already wants!" Tobey nodded happily at Sue.

************************************************3D

For the rest of the night, Tobey slept so much better. His stomach was full, and he didn't have any nightmares. In fact he slept so deeply, Sid got up to check on him twice in the night to be sure he was ok. Sid wasn't used to him sleeping so soundly. He didn't even snuffle and roll around in his sleep. Sid actually missed hearing him talk in his sleep.

Nana stayed up studying most of the rest of night. The more she read, the surer she was that they were right, and the cure was up to Tobey. Physically it had affected Tobey's ability to speak because that is where its affect was concentrated from Kong Li's staff. But mentally it increased his negativity about what had happened and really made him suffer in a way he chose appropriate. It was amazing how it was worded. It indicated the victim chooses how the spell affects them even if the victim is not aware of it. Someone who is aware of the spell and how it works should not be affected by it at all.

Nana looked for anything that may help restore Tobey to his normal self faster but could find no mention of a cure, other than time and conquering his fears. Recovery was up to him, and she could offer no magical help. All she could offer was advice and guidance.

Before they went to school Nana told them about what additional information she had gathered about what Kong Li did to Tobey. Only Sue and Sid went to school. Nana called the school and told them Tobey was still sick with laryngitis. Tobey helped Mr. Wu in the kitchen all morning. Mr. Wu also teased him about having laryngitis, saying it was nice to not have to hear him complain. Tobey was feeling much better otherwise and Nana fed him small meals every two hours all morning to help him regain his strength.

Tobey got a little discouraged a couple of times when he tried to speak but still, no sound would come out. The green glow was completely gone by lunchtime. Nana assured him that his voice would return soon and told him he could take a lunch delivery, and enjoy his ride on the way back. He was very excited to hit the streets and ride his bike again. Mr. Wu instructed him to stop by the wharf and pick up some fresh tuna for the evening crowd on his way back. By then it would be close to time for Sue and Sid to get home too.

Tobey made the delivery, and pocketed the tip money. He was careful to keep it separate from the money Mr. Wu gave him for the tuna, and careful to keep it all separate from the money the customer paid him for the order. Then he went to the arcade and spent his tip money. He totally beat Robot Dragon 7 and got the highest score EVER! That meant he got to stay even longer with the pocket full of tokens he won. He was only sorry he couldn't scream out his joy each time he blew up the enemy, but he looked around each time to see if anyone saw his victory.

Tobey's watch beeped to remind him that it was time to get home with Mr. Wu's tuna, and he needed to return to help with the afternoon and evening deliveries.

On his way down to get the fish, he saw little Marcus out with a bunch of his friends. Marcus lived with his mother next door to Wu's in an apartment on the second floor. He waved at them, but didn't stop since he wouldn't be able to tell them why he couldn't speak. Tobey was afraid they would think he was teasing them or something. Marcus loved to talk as much as he did and was always full of questions. Tobey leaned back on the seat, and put his feet on the handlebars to glide down the hill toward the fresh fish market. The wad of tokens he had left in his pocket made him smile all the way down.

The market faced the ocean. To enter, customers walked around a boardwalk to get to the entrance. There were small tables and chairs positioned along the way where customer's could sit and enjoy a meal from the deli. There were always people there, even in bad weather. Three piers could easily be seen from the boardwalk and customers could watch the fishing boats come in with their catch of the day.

Tobey walked on down to the first pier where a fishing boat had put out a sign saying he had tuna. He thought, the fish can't get any fresher than getting it right off the boat! Tobey parked his bike by a pole and chained it up before walking out on the pier. The tuna boat was all the way out at the end. He watched a seagull fly over his head and toward the second pier where there was no boat yet. A cloaked figure was crouched down at the edge with a large jar full of water and a net.

Oh man, I don't believe it! It's Kong Li! What do I do? Do I call Sue and Sid back into danger? Tobey quickly stepped into a small crowd that had gathered beside the tuna boat. Kong Li stood up, still at the edge of the pier after putting a large Bay Nettle Jellyfish in a gallon jar.

Tobey watched as Kong Li concealed it under his cloak and moved back up into the shadows between the buildings. Tobey followed with thoughts and fears racing through his mind. I could just follow him myself and see what he is up to; maybe he was just catching something for dinner. He knew that wasn't what Kong Li was doing even before he said it. I can't stop him alone and I don't want my friends in danger again. Their injuries have not healed from the last fight yet. What do I do?

Kong Li has to be stopped. Tobey grabbed his phone and called Sid, forgetting he couldn't speak. "Hello?" Sid answered right away. "Hey – I know its you Tobey! Is there a problem? Are you ok?" Tobey gritted his teeth in frustration and started texting. "KL – by fish market – pier 4" He was still having doubts and fears, and the spell was still keeping him from speaking because of it.

Sid closed up his phone and told Sue. They were already on their bikes and on the way home from school. They turned a corner and headed for the wharf. They stood up and pedaled even faster down the hill to get to where Tobey told them Kong Li was.

Tobey silently followed Kong Li. He watched carefully and saw him only often enough to follow him without being seen – or so he thought. Kong Li never showed any sign of realizing that Tobey was following him. Tobey jumped off his bike and chained it to a pole to continue following Kong Li on foot as he turned back off the street and onto private property.

The place looked like a tornado and an earthquake hit it. Tobey recognized a giant hole as one of the ones Kong Li caused a long time ago when he called the dragon. The asphalt had caved in from under the side of the collapsed old building and into a small parking area on the side. Part of the building's wall had crumbled and fallen into it too. It was big enough to swallow a semi truck.

There was still construction barricades set up and police tape stretched back and forth around the huge hole. Kong Li went right up to the edge and disappeared down into it.

Tobey followed him under the police tape and cautiously looked over the edge. It was dark down in there, even though it was daytime. He couldn't see very far down in the deep hole on the shady side of the building. He realized there must be warm water running from somewhere down there, because the hole had wisps of fog rising from it.

Tobey sat by the edge to wait for Sue and Sid to get there. It only took a few more seconds before they were riding up to him. He pointed down in the hole. Knowing Tobey meant Kong Li went down the hole she still asked. "Kong Li went down there?" She confirmed it, more than asked. Tobey nodded yes.

"Tobey? What was Kong Li doing when you saw him and followed him here?" Tobey gestured with his hands, showing frustration when he realized he didn't know how to gesture a jellyfish. Using his face and fingers – he got Sue to guess 'octopus'. Tobey shook his head no, but grinned as he took his phone off his belt. He typed in text to tell them he watched Kong Li take a large Black Sea Nettle jellyfish out of the water and take it with him in a jar down in the hole.

Sid positioned his bike by a pole near the edge of the hole and pulled out the wench cable.

"Look Sue, how come this area has not been repaired since Kong Li called the dragon so long ago? Everywhere else was fixed soon after it happened."

"Ya, and everyone thought it was just another earthquake." Sue was chaining her own bike to the other side of the pole. Sid knelt down by the edge to lower the cable off his bike down in the hole. He ran it down as far as it would go and stood up. Tobey had chained Sid's bike to the pole for him. Sid leaned back as he pulled on the cable to be sure it was secure.

Sue reasoned, "This must be private property and the owner has not repaired it yet. It looks like this was abandoned long before the dragon did the damage. The owner may not even know about this or it may be taking a long time for the city to get the owner to make the repairs for other reasons."

"That is true, Sue. They probably have no idea that Kong Li is using it for his evil magic." Sid tested the cable one more time before he wrapped it around his thigh and under his butt. As he leaned back, his bike settled against the chain holding it to the pole and held fast. "Sue is your wrist up to doing this?"

"Ya, it is fine."

"Well come on guys, let's go." Sid went over the edge first followed by Sue and then Tobey.

It was a long way down. Sid reached the end of the cable but still couldn't see the bottom. "I think we are going to have to climb down from here – we ran out of cable."

Sue sighed "How did Kong Li get down here? This sucks!" Sid was already past the end of the cable, clinging to the rocks and large broken pieces of asphalt that had fallen down there. Sue stepped over to the rocks next and let go of the cable. The rock she chose gave way and she fell, screaming as she went. Sid looked up just in time to see her falling toward him.

Sid reached out to catch her as she fell past him. He caught her by her hand and held her for a moment before the rock he was holding onto crumbled. They both fell into the dark fog and Tobey couldn't see them. He opened his mouth to scream for them, but of course couldn't make a sound.

Tobey hurried down to the end of the cable and quickly scrambled down the rocks, he jumped down in one place where he could see for a little ways in the fog. He looked like a crab as he clung to the rocks and moved sideways and down to cover the distance quickly. He jumped away from the wall one last time, and landed on his feet next to Sue and Sid.

They were on a ledge, wide enough for a small vehicle to drive down and over the edge he could see it opened up into a great expanse. Tobey still couldn't see the other side or the bottom. The ledge sloped down farther as it disappeared into the fog ahead. Cracks in between the large rocks down here had sticks with oil lamps hanging from them along the path. There was enough light for Tobey to see Sue and Sid lying near each other. He reached down and tugged on Sid's shirt trying to wake him up. Sid moaned and sat up. "Ow…Tobey?" Tobey touched his arm, since he couldn't speak. Sid looked at him and smiled. "I'm ok."

Sid and Tobey leaned over to Sue. She opened her eyes to see both of them looking at her. She smiled at them, and sat up. Tobey pointed to her helmet. Sid looked and saw a crack in the back of it.

"Sue! Are you alright? Your helmet is cracked!"

"I'm fine. That was quite a trip to get down here huh?" Sue smiled at the boys. Sid stood up and helped her stand. "It is hot and humid down here." She observed. Sue pulled off her biking shirt, as did Tobey and Sid. Sid had a black t-shirt on, and Tobey and Sue had their tank tops on. Sid had an idea. "Let's use these to mark where we came down. How far up do you think the cable is?"

Sue guessed twenty feet or so, as they rolled up their shirts and put them in a pile with their helmets on top right under where they were pretty sure the cable was.

"We will have to climb back up just to get to the cable."

"Well maybe there is another way out of here. I doubt if Kong Li comes and goes the same way we just did – we really did it the hard way."

Sid led the way as they walked quickly down the path along the wall. The oil lamps were placed along the path as they went, just close enough together they could see the next one ahead through the fog as they passed each one. The path widened out and they could see the glow from more oil lamps all around them. They seemed to be in a basically round large room underground.

Sue pointed, "Look guys! Dragon footprints." Tobey was near the other wall holding his nose, and Sid guessed Dragon poop?" Tobey nodded yes and waved his hand like he was trying to clear out the smell as he came back over to join them.

"We don't know what we will run into down here. Maybe we should have told Nana where we were going!" Sid shook his phone in frustration when he saw there was no reception here. "You didn't really think you could get a signal down here did you?" Sid glared at her, but she was right – there was no way to let her know now.

They continued farther, and the fog started to dissipate. Sid looked back and didn't see Tobey. He called him and Sue reminded him that he wouldn't be able to hear Tobey answer him. They jogged back a very short distance and found Tobey examining an iron-barred gate-like structure in the rock.

"Tobey? Don't disappear like that!" Tobey shrugged and blushed as he smiled. Sue and Sid stepped up to the iron gate with him. They could see clearly beyond it. There was the sound of water coming from within, and several different unidentifiable smells assaulting their noses as they looked in.

All three together, yanked on the gate. The third time, it creaked open and they went through. Tables full of jars with an assortment of herbs and things inside that they would rather not know about lined the wall on one side. They were alert and poised to defend themselves as they moved along in between tables that were positioned between large rocks and cracks in the cave floor. Some of the cracks and crevasses were large. There was a waterfall flowing from the far corner and the water flowed down the side, all along the expanse to the other end of the cavern.

"Who would have thought there was a hot spring under Chinatown?" Sid stated more than asked. Sue answered, "Ya, but I doubt that it is natural. Kong Li has set up housekeeping down here and he may have decorated it.

Tobey pointed at the large table near the middle of the room and the large glass jar that sat in the middle of it. Sid saw him. "Sue, that jar – Tobey?" Tobey pointed at it and gestured again. Sue guessed Jellyfish. Tobey nodded in agreement. "I wonder what Kong Li did with it?" Tobey went over to it, and smelled and tasted the liquid. It was saltwater.

First, Kong Li's laugh could be heard echoing around them. They moved closer together and readied themselves for a fight. "So this is your new lair, Kong Li. Nice decor." Sid spoke first. Then Kong Li appeared on a ledge about fifty feet above where they were standing. The oil lamps near him lit magically and they could see clearly that he was pointing his staff at them.

A bolt of energy shot from the head of the staff and exploded in their midst. Sid, Sue and Tobey shielded their faces and rolled away from it. As the dust settled, they saw Kong Li standing right between them. He swung his staff at Sid first and he dodged and kicked. Kong Li leapt straight up in the air away from Sid, and charged Tobey.

Tobey lowered into his fighting stance and swiftly blocked Kong Li's kick with his arm. He delivered a punch with his palm to Kong Li's chest and knocked him back. As he fell back, Kong Li hit Tobey with the staff and Tobey fell. Kong Li recovered instantly and leaned in to swing at Tobey again while he was down. Sue body slammed Kong Li and knocked him all the way to the ground. Kong Li rolled out of the way of her kick and disappeared with a wave of his cloak before she could hit him again. Sue helped Tobey up and they turned looking for Sid.

Kong Li reappeared quickly right behind Sid with his staff glowing green. Sue shouted a warning and Sid turned just in time to block the staff with his forearm. Kong Li shouted, "Juo-Ifu-ion!"

The green spread to Sid's arm and the pain that followed made Sid scream and drop to his knees while holding his arm across his body. Sue leapfrogged over him and planted both feet in Kong Li's chest knocking him away from Sid. Kong Li vanished again.

Sue bent down to help Sid up. "Sid? Oh no!" She carefully touched his arm. He was holding it against his body with his other hand. "I can't move it!" Tobey stood on the other side of the tables behind his friends. He watched them, and watched for Kong Li to reappear but his thoughts strayed again. Sid is already hurt again, and Sue! Tobey gritted his teeth and punched a rock and it crumbled. They were in trouble again.

"It will be ok. Do you feel alright otherwise?"

"Ya, Oh man – it is the same spell that took Tobey's speech. What else is it going to do?"

"Nothing – it is up to you isn't it? Don't forget what Nana said. When Tobey's fears were removed, he got better, if you are not upset about anything, and control your fear, the spell cannot do anything else to you. Right?"

"Right, Aaargh!" He winced and hugged his arm tighter too his body as the green intensified for a moment. He closed his eyes, and centered his attention on the pain in his arm as Nana had instructed. Sid visualized the sickly green color disappearing, replaced by a warm pink color. He opened his eyes and sure enough, the green was gone from his arm. He flexed his fingers and elbow and found he could move his arm again normally and the pain was gone! Sue helped him up and hugged his shoulders as she looked around quickly. Kong Li was not in sight, but she also realized she didn't know where Tobey was.

"Tobey?" she called. They didn't know they had missed a whole battle that had gone on silently behind them.

"Don't forget he can't answer." Sid smiled at her, getting her back for correcting him earlier when he was expecting an answer from Tobey.

"Ya but if we call him, he should come over and let us know he is alright."

"Right, we better look for him."

Before, while Sue was tending to Sid, Kong Li reappeared silently behind Tobey and swung at him with the staff. He rolled to avoid it and came up in his fighting stance. Tobey had bent over because he found a recipe under the edge of the table with the empty jar and stuffed it into his front pants pocket. Kong Li got close without Tobey seeing him. Tobey jumped at Kong Li to attack. He would have screamed to alert Sue and Sid if he could, but still couldn't make a sound.

It was a short silent attack that Kong Li avoided by rolling backwards and kicking Tobey into the air and over his head. Tobey hit the ground on his back and slid off the edge into the crevasse. As he felt himself falling, he grabbed for whatever he could reach. A piece of pipe a couple of feet long stuck out from the cliff wall and he caught it. He found one toehold with his foot and hung precariously over what looked like boiling water running below him.

Tobey tried to yell, and felt so frustrated when he found that he still couldn't make a sound. Crap! He thought. Nana said my voice would come back! What is preventing me from being able to talk now? Tobey thought for a moment, but soon returned to his immediate situation. He repositioned his hands on the pipe.

When Tobey fell, Kong Li slipped back into the shadows so Sid and Sue wouldn't see him. Sue couldn't help but call Tobey's name again, hoping he would pop up and try to scare her or something. Sid went to look back out into the cavern they entered through but saw nothing and jogged back to Sue.

"Sid? Where did he go? Do you think Kong Li took him?"

"No, I am sure he is fine, wouldn't we have heard something? He probably saw something shiny somewhere and got distracted. Let's look back out in the cavern deeper." They started back the way they came toward the iron gate.

Tobey kept trying to yell, but only silence followed each attempt. He cautiously let go of the end of the pipe with one hand and started picking pebbles and small rocks out of the cliff face he was clinging to. He threw each one up and over the top as far as he could, hoping to get Sid and Sue's attention.

Sue heard something first. She froze and waved to Sid, who also froze. Another tiny noise, sounded like gravel falling. Another slightly larger rock hit the table corner and bounced into a row of Kong Li's specimens and supplies. They were all contained in glass jars. Two of the jars shattered and the contents mixed on the table. Purple smoke rose from the reaction. That time, Sid saw the rock. They ran to the broken jars just in time to see another small rock fly out of the crevasse nearby.

Sue cautiously stepped up to the edge and looked down. "TOBEY!" she screamed and Sid joined her. They could see Tobey clinging to a pipe sticking out of the rocks a little ways down.

"How do we get him up?" Sid looked around. There just wasn't much in here for him to engineer something. What he wouldn't have given for rope and something to use as pulleys or spikes and a hammer for mountain climbing or …

Sue interrupted his thoughts, "I can reach him if you hold my legs." Sid frowned but didn't see another way. It seemed simple enough. Tobey heard her idea and frantically shook his head no! "Tobey relax, we can do this."

Sue stretched out and scooted on her belly lowering herself slowly over the edge toward Tobey. Sid hooked his heel around the table leg and held on to both of Sue's legs at her ankles. Down she went headfirst into the crevasse. Sid lifted up on her ankles after she was down past her hips to lower her straight down by her legs.

"Come on just two more inches." She could almost touch Tobey's outstretched fingers with hers when she felt her ankle slide through one of Sid's hands a little way.

She gasped "SID! Pay attention would ya?"

He answered her with a yell! "S-STOP it! Arrgh!"

"Sid?" She felt his hands slip on her ankles again and she found herself staring closer into Tobey's worried eyes. She had slid down low enough she was hanging onto his hand now. Her other hand rested on the top of the same pipe that he held onto.

"KONG LI!" Sid screamed. "DON'T!" Kong Li had come up behind them and watched and waited out of sight until the kids were in the most vulnerable position they could be in. He sauntered up from behind him and started hitting Sid with his staff along his back and thighs to make him let go of Sue, but Sid wouldn't let go. A blow to his head from the staff made him see stars, and brought tears to his eyes, but he still didn't let go. Sue gasped as she realized what was going on – she knew Sid would probably die before he would let go of her or Tobey. At that thought Sue screamed at him to let her go. "It's ok, I have Tobey, and we can hang on while you take care of Kong Li."

"NO!" Sid screamed as Kong Li kicked him in the ribs. "AAAargh!

"Come on boy, how much more can you take?" Kong Li said calmly. Sue could hear Sid's labored breathing and agonized moans. She realized Kong Li would not stop hurting Sid until he let go of her and Sid couldn't fight back because he wouldn't willingly let go of her, ever.

So she kicked her ankles forcibly out of his grip. "No, Sue?" He tried to hold onto her, but couldn't catch her leg again. He rolled away from Kong Li and jumped up to attack him. Sid thought-Tobey, hang on to her!-Sue, hang on to Tobey as he stood up to face his enemy once again, only alone this time.

Once Sue had her ankles out of Sid's grip, she lowered her legs down one at a time from a one-handed handstand on the pipe. With great control, she put her feet on either side of her hand on the pipe. She still held onto Tobey's hand with her other hand and he helped her balance. It looked like she was doing some intricate powerful yoga on a pipe while hanging off a cliff, and she kinda was! Tobey watched in amazement as he held on from the same pipe underneath her.

Sue stepped as close to the rock wall as she could and did a deep knee bend. She held onto Tobey's hand with both of hers and power lifted him up by his arm to hang over the pipe, she paused a moment, her wrist injury had not bothered her much at all until now, but it objected greatly to what she was doing by sending shooting pains through her arm and hand. She repositioned her grip with one hand holding onto the back of his belt. She gritted her teeth and powered him up again so he was standing next to her on the pipe.

Tobey looked at her with amazement and grinned. "Guess it's good you are such a shrimp – I couldn't have done that for Sid." She placed one foot against a rock jutting out from the cliff behind her. There was only room for three of their feet on the pipe. She smiled at Tobey before they both looked up, hearing the sounds of Sid's battle with Kong Li.

Sid blocked all of Kong Li's kung fu attacks, but what worried him more were the magical attacks he might use.

"Juo-Ifu-ion." Sid heard the dreaded attack and dodged it. Kong Li was so surprised it didn't work, he hesitated. Sid picked up the large plate sized lid from the broken jar and held it in front of him. Kong Li laughed at him "What is that, boy? Your shield?"

Sid screamed "Kai Shrey La" and a powerful spout of water shot from the lid, washing Kong Li away and pushing himself back into the wall. After a moment the spout of water stopped by itself and he lowered the lid.

Sue and Tobey both heard Sid cast a spell and grinned at each other "I am so happy he had that in him! I have an idea – this pipe seems pretty sturdy – it is already supporting both of us. I want you to climb up me like a ladder and get out. Then you can pull me up."

Tobey shook his head no and motioned that he wanted her to climb up him and get up first. "No, we can't safely change positions here – I am in the right spot for you to be the climber – come on, Sid needs us, we don't have time to argue.

Tobey reluctantly but quickly started up, and once his hands were over her head, he found handholds in the rock to use. By the time his feet were on her shoulders he was leaning over the top and able to roll up and out. He spun around and reached down for her. Since she was already standing on top of the pipe he didn't have to scoot out very far to reach down to her. Sue pulled herself up the rest of the way using him like a ladder and finally they were both out.

They saw Sid running toward them, but didn't see Kong Li anywhere again. "I am so glad to see you two!"

"We heard your water spell! Great job! Where is Kong Li now?"

"I don't know, when the water stopped, he was gone." Sue put her hand up to Sid's head and looked for the source of the blood running down the side of his face. He had a cut just above his hairline where Kong Li's staff connected with his head.

Tobey took the recipe he found out of his pocket and held it up to them. Sue saw it first and recognized it! "It is the Steamed Sushi and Jelly Jam recipe!"

"Tobey GREAT! Where did you get this?" Tobey started to point, but glared at her for asking him questions again. They could sort it out later.

"We have the recipe he was going to use on the jellyfish, let's get out of here! Maybe he didn't have a chance to use it yet." Sid hoped she would buy it and she did, he was really feeling 'done' for the day.

"OK! Let's go, I hope you're right." She said, and Tobey nodded and tucked the recipe back into his pocket.

They started to leave the way they came in when Kong Li landed in front of them, blocking their path back up to the ledge. His staff was already glowing and he knocked Tobey out of the way first and advanced toward the siblings.

Tobey fell off the path and slid down to the cavern floor about 10 feet below. He scrambled to his feet and started back up to stand with his friends against the enemy.

Kong Li swung his staff at Sue and screamed "Juo-Ifu-ion." The end of the staff came dangerously close to Sue's face, when Sid pushed her out of the way and jumped in front of her. The staff hit Sid in the center of his chest instead. The initial shock and the pain made him cry out as he fell back on Sue. "SID!" She scooted back a little to stop with Sid's head and shoulders still in her lap.

Kong Li advanced again to get Sue for sure this time. With his enemies down he was sure he had won. He drew his staff back ready to swing it at Sue's head again. She bent forward and covered Sid.

Tobey screamed, "GET BACK AWAY FROM THEM!" as he launched himself off the wall over his friends, he flew over Sue and Sid, and body-slammed Kong Li. The force sent Tobey off the ledge with Kong Li back to the cavern floor below.

Sue sat up and looked at Sid. His chest glowed green and pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. "Sid? Please say something – concentrate like you did before."

The pain was intense – Sid thought his heart had already exploded. He could hear Sue, but couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. After he gasped twice, he found he couldn't draw a third breath.

Sue saw Tobey fall, and screamed for him as he went down with Kong Li but quickly returned her attention to Sid.

"Please Sid! You can control this." She witnessed Sid's last breaths, and waited for his next one, but it didn't come. Sid was not breathing! She scooted the rest of the way out from under him and looked into his eyes. He was still awake, and strangely calm. So she waited a moment and watched him. She could hear Kong Li shouting at Tobey and the sounds of their battle below so at least she was sure Tobey was ok, at least for the moment.

Sid calmly closed his eyes. When she felt him relax even more, she was concerned he had passed out and her tears fell on his face as she shook his shoulders gently. Sue prepared to start breathing for Sid mouth to mouth by tilting his head back. Sid had not passed out, nor had he panicked. He had managed to ignore for a moment that he couldn't breathe, and was trying to focus as before, on the pain in his chest. After he focused fully on the pain and visualized the green turning to pink, he concentrated calmly on breathing. He drew his next breath, then again and again, breathing deeper each time. He opened his eyes and looked at Sue. Sue saw that he was breathing! "Sid! You're ok!" she picked him up by his shoulders and hugged his neck.

"I gotta go help Tobey." Sue jumped straight down the steep cliff toward the sounds of the battle. Tobey had made Kong Li drop his staff and she got there in time to see him flip Kong Li over his head. Kong Li landed with a thud and rolled. He saw Sue running at him with Sid close behind. He picked up his staff and vanished again.

Sue ran right up to Tobey and gave him a hug and kiss on his cheek. Tobey blushed twelve shades of pink. Sid came up to him too and punched Tobey in the arm playfully, "Tobey! – you can talk can't you?" Tobey and Sue looked at Sid like he was nuts. Then Sue remembered too, Tobey had yelled at Kong Li when he attacked him to protect them up on the ledge!

"Tobey?" she asked, "Say something else."

"Can I? - - SOMETHING ELSE! - - I can! I CAN talk again!" Tobey was immediately enveloped by Sue and Sid hugging the stuffing out of him. He hugged them back, but had to cut it short to bring their attention to the ever menacing cloaked figure, standing at the bottom of the path, glaring at them.

"Kong Li! Just give it up! You lost this time too!" Sue shouted at him as they all three ran at their enemy.

Kong Li pulled a larger than basketball-sized lump of something slimy from his cloak. He was wearing long black rubber gloves to handle it.

Sue recognized it and yelled, "Watch out guys! It's the jellyfish!"

They all stopped, but Sid laughed. "Come on Sue? What can it do out of the water?"

"Ya, we are not impressed by your new pet, Kong Loser!" Tobey joined in.

Kong Li said, "Sounds like you got that annoying voice of yours back again, Master Tobey. Too bad, I will have to find a more permanent way to keep you from ever talking again."

All three kids started running at Kong Li again with Sid in the lead. Kong Li spun out of Sid's path and he jumped past him. Sid landed and delivered a rounding kick aimed at his head. Sue dropped low and aimed to take out his legs with her dragon spinning kick. Tobey yelled just for the joy of yelling out loud as he charged in ready to punch him in the gut.

Kong Li vanished and they all came real close to hitting each other. "When did he learn that trick anyway?" Sue exclaimed.

Sid screamed in frustration. "Kong Li come back and let us kick you into next week!"

"I never left." Kong Li spoke softly. He had appeared right behind Sid without any of them seeing him. When Sid turned to face him, Tobey and Sue saw that Sid had the large jellyfish on his back. Right then, it must have started to sting him, because he screamed and tried to reach it. Tobey and Sue went to Sid's side to help him but Kong Li attacked them, so they turned to face him and defend Sid and themselves.

While they fought, Sid threw himself down on his back trying to squish the jellyfish, but it seemed to be unaffected. The jellyfish's bell flattened out on his back and stuck on even tighter. In fact the tentacles got longer and wrapped around his bare arms pinning his arms to his sides. Tentacles went across his chest and stomach too. Each new inch of tentacle was equipped with hundreds of tiny 'cnidocytes', the stinging cells that jellyfish use to kill other animals. Sid was sure he felt every one of the stinging cells, even through his tank top. The creature's oral arms were thicker and stronger than the tentacles and held on tight to Sid's back, by wrapping under his arms and across his ribs.

Sid writhed around on the floor screaming for help as he felt the jellyfish tightening its hold. The longest tentacles went down his back and wrapped themselves round his leg. He could even feel the stings through his pants. Sid kept screaming as he tried to hit it to make it release him. He had rolled around with it until he was by a table. He came up under the heavy wooden table corner trying to poke the jellyfish to make it let go of him, but it only served to hurt his own back. The jellyfish just held on tighter.

Sue and Tobey had fought with Kong Li until he was a little ways away from where Sid was rolling around with the jellyfish on his back. "Tobey! Go help Sid, I will fight Kong Li." Tobey broke off his attack and ran to Sid.

Kong Li grinned at Sue, "You don't have a chance, he will die from the stings and you can't remove it. The jellyfish has been changed with my magic and can live indefinitely out of water and will keep growing. I have one prepared for each of you. None of you will leave here alive." Kong Li pointed his staff at Sue and the explosion that followed blew her back. She rolled away and jumped to her feet facing him.

Kong Li ran back up the ledge and fired at her again. She overturned a table and hid behind it right before it exploded in front of her. The explosion startled Tobey too, as it hit close to where he was trying to burn the jellyfish off of Sid with one of the oil lamps. He stopped and overturned the closest table to shield Sid from the next blast. Sid was still being stung but was not screaming as loudly. He was getting tired, his muscles jerked with each sting in a new place. He had a tentacle around his neck now.

Sue took the chance with Kong Li's attention on the boys to run behind the rocks and across a pile of rock. She was frantically looking for a way to get behind Kong Li.

Tobey returned to the jellyfish after Kong Li's blast. He gritted his teeth and started trying to pry it off of Sid's back with his bare hands. He cried out softly as it stung him, but off it came. At least the bell and oral arms came off, but it left damaged skin and tentacles behind. It looked like Kong Li's jellyfish had developed teeth. Sid's back was bloody where the center of the bell had been. Several of the tentacles were still attached to his ribs and back.

Tobey stood up long enough to throw the jellyfish into the hot water running in the crevasse. He ducked back down just in time to avoid another energy bolt from Kong Li. Tobey turned back to Sid and touched his shoulder. "Sid? Oh, man! How bad is it? Can you move?"

"Thanks Tobey, I will be ok." Sid panted. He was breathing very fast, still feeling the stinging. "Where is Sue?" The tentacles that were left didn't stop their attack and it felt to him like little bolts of electricity accompanied the pain. Sid put his head back and shut his eyes. Tobey spotted all the jars on the table and on a ledge near the back of the cavern. "Sue is holding Kong Li off of us. She is doing great!-Sid, hold on – I'm gonna go see if Kong Li has any vinegar in one of those jars – it will help neutralize the venom."

"Be careful Tobey!" Sid growled and rolled over to try to get up. Sue saw Tobey running and he was out in the open. She growled "Tobey!" under her breath. Kong Li was taking aim at him so she screamed and charged him. He tried to turn his next shot at her but she was all over him too quickly. He dropped the staff and attacked her with both hands. They exchanged strikes and kicks for several moments before she got him off balance and he fell over. He landed next to his staff and picked it up again as he rolled off the ledge. Sue looked down over the ledge and when she saw Kong Li still standing, was disappointed they had not been up higher. Kong Li had landed on his feet about ten feet below her.

************************************************3D

Tobey was searching the shelves. Very few of them were marked clearly enough for him to read what might be in them. He smelled a few, but was sorry – nothing he tried even smelled as good as vinegar. He looked around quickly for something else. The warm water would work if it was not too warm, accept fresh water would make the stinging worse. He needed saltwater, that would work.

"Yes!" he exclaimed as he remembered the glass jar Kong Li used to transport the jellyfish was still on the table and full of saltwater.

Tobey ran to it, and carried it quickly back to Sid. "Hold on Sid, its cold."

"Ok Tob…" He took it carefully and poured it over Sid's back. The salt stung the bloody spot a little, but it was nothing like as bad as the stinging from the jellyfish. Tobey picked the last of the tentacles off of Sid's neck and ribs and washed his skin off with the saltwater rubbing gently with his hand. Sid did find it soothing and the stinging almost stopped.

************************************************3D

Kong Li leapt back away from the ledge and shot the ground out from under Sue's feet with the staff. She screamed as the rocks gave way under her feet. Kong Li's cape flew out behind him as he turned and walked quickly to where Sid was trying to get up behind the table.

Tobey had just finished the saltwater first aid and looked up over the table when he heard Kong Li blast the rocks out from under her feet and her scream. "Kong Li is coming!" Sid pushed himself up on his hands and knees to try and get up.

The dust was thick in the area where she fell and Tobey couldn't see her. He did the only thing he could think of to keep Kong Li away from Sid and Sue. He ran away, jogging backwards, so he could stay facing Kong Li. He ran deeper into the cavern, shouting taunts and insults. "Come on Kong Loser! What's the matter, you couldn't keep me down with your little spell eh? Listen to my beautiful voice!" Tobey sang as loud as he could, and as off key as he could as he gave Kong Li a private command performance.

Sid and Sue had gotten up and heard Tobey singing. Sue covered her ears, Sid laughed and started to go in the same direction. Kong Li yelled over Tobey's singing, "You little reject! You are the last one you know – I took care of your friends."

"You can't take care of yourself – and you smell." It was all Tobey could come up with as he hopped around and punched the air trying to think of a plan. He was still moving backwards, as he kept Kong Li in sight.

"You are old, alone and done for - and no one likes you!" Tobey made up a sing song melody for that one. "Old-Alone-and Done For - - Old-Alone-and Done For!"

"Enough of this!" Kong Li was enraged. Tobey's plan had worked and he was not completely sure he should be happy about it since he would be the object of his Kong Li's rage now. But he was happy that he got their enemy farther away from Sue and Sid. Kong Li thrust his staff at Tobey and said, "Goodbye, Master Tobey! You have bothered me for the last time."

Kong Li's long winded speech gave Sue enough time to fly past Sid in the air land in the middle of Kong Li's back. As the enemy fell forward, his bolt of energy exploded straight into the rocks above Tobey's head. The cavern collapsed and a shower of rocks and dirt fell on Tobey before he could get out of the way.

Sid and Sue screamed for Tobey and Sue kicked and kicked at Kong Li, with unending, renewed strength and stamina. Sid ran to help Tobey. He dodged but her attack was so ferocious she was driving him back. She was driven by her fear for Sid and now Tobey. She fought Kong Li like she had never fought before. She totally focused herself on destroying Kong Li. He had hurt them for the last time as far as she was concerned. She pushed her concern for the boys back down in her chest, knowing she had to take Kong Li down once and for all.

************************************************3D

Sid fell on his way to Tobey. The cave was spinning because he tried to move to fast. He got up holding his head and continued to run to where Tobey had been buried. The sharp rocks peeled skin off his hands as he dug down, throwing large rocks to the side and scooping dirt away. He found Tobey's unmoving hand and sobbed his name. "Tobey?" as he gave his hand a squeeze. Sid worked faster to clear away the rocks and dirt.

************************************************3D

Kong Li fell back again from Sue's strong attack, but came at her again shouting, "Gei Kow No!" He held his hands out to Sue and fire ignited in both his palms. The flame grew larger and stronger quickly and he pointed it at her. Sue braced for it with no fear, and when it hit her, she actually deflected it with her hands back to Kong Li screaming "Gei Kow No!" herself.

She ran forward, following the path the fire took and in an instant after her attack hit him, her palm came through the last of the flame and connected firmly with his jaw. He fell on his back by the edge of the large crevasse. Sue leapt into the air above him and was coming down at him heel first. He rolled and she missed kicking him in the head by a hair's width.

************************************************3D

Following Tobey's arm, Sid found his head and chest and uncovered more of him. He was lying on his back in the pile of rock. Sid felt his neck for a pulse. He found it! Tobey was still alive and breathing! "Tobey?" Sid called to him as he uncovered more of his body by digging the rocks and dirt off of him. Tobey moaned and opened his eyes. "Hang on! I will have you out in a second. Do you hurt anywhere?"

Tobey shook his head, no. Sid gasped and looked into his face. "Tobey! TALK to me!" after the events of the last few days, Sid wanted to hear him say it out loud.

"Sorry Sid. I am not hurt, just stuck." Sid rolled a particularly large rock off his legs and kept scooping away the smaller rocks and dirt. Tobey helped as best as he could with his one free arm.

************************************************3D

Sue dropped to one knee and punched at Kong Li's head again, an instant too late as he rolled aside. Kong Li's weight and Sue's added weight landing from a jump so close to the edge caused the ground to crumble and cave in. More rock and dirt collapsed and fell. Kong Li went down yelling and Sue tried to jump to solid ground but missed and fell an instant later with the rocks. Sue screamed as she went down, getting Sid and Tobey's attention.

Sid heard her scream and looked up just in time to see his sister fall over the edge. "SUE! - Tob, I'll be right back." and called to her as he ran to the edge. Tobey struggled trying to pull his own legs out. Rocks rolled freeing one leg, but other rocks shifted holding his other ankle tighter between them.

As Sid ran to the edge where Sue had fallen, he could hear a whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound, and the fog swirled around like a hurricane was moving in underground. Sid looked up and saw a huge black dragon flying at him. he gasped and fell back on his butt as it folded its wings right in front of him in mid-air and went into a dive. As the dragon dropped into the crevasse Sid saw Nana smiling and sitting securely on its back, just behind the huge wings.

The dragon and Nana disappeared into the fog again. Sid's knees felt weak and struggled a little to get up. The whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound got louder again. Before Sid could see it again, the dragon spit flames at the wall across from him and lit up the entire cavern. He could see clearly where the dragon was with Nana on his back. When it flew out of the mist again, he saw that the dragon had caught Sue gently in its talons. It held her around her middle as she held on with her hands.

Tobey was watching in awe from where he was, he had forgotten to keep trying to dig his leg out. The dragon's huge wings moved a lot of air, as it hovered for a moment before its back feet touched the ground.

The dragon placed Sue on the ground on her feet and carefully turned her loose. Sue turned to face the dragon and smiled at him. The dragon lowered its huge head and wrapped its tongue around her arm and she giggled. He licked her again, his tongue going from one cheek, under her chin and up to her other cheek. Sue was delighted and amazed at how soft and gentle the dragon's touch was. Even his breath smelled sweet, like flowers.

Nana had gotten off of the dragon's back and stood by Sue and Sid. The dragon flapped a couple of times and flew off, back down the cavern in the direction from where it first appeared. Sid ran back to where Tobey was. With Nana and Sue following, "Nana do you think Kong Li survived that?"

"Probably Sue. You know how hard he is going to be to get rid of." Sue looked sad for an instant before sprinting ahead to Tobey's side.

"Tobey? Are you still feeling ok?" worried, Sid was asking him again. "Sorry I left you!"

"No problem, if I had seen a dragon flying around carrying Sue, I would have left you too." Sid smiled at him and moved down to his feet with Sue.

"I'm ok - I just can't get my foot out." They put their shoulders against the largest chunk of rock and pushed. It rolled off of the other rocks, freeing Tobey's foot. "Thanks." He said and rubbed his ankle. Now his shoe was missing so he started digging in the rocks himself to find it. "I can't lose it! My Vans are my favorite shoes! Come on, help me look he pleaded."

"You kids! Next time tell me where you are going! I had to enlist the help of my large friend to sniff you out." Nana scolded them.

"Sorry- by the time we knew we were in trouble, we couldn't call you." Sid offered. "Nana, how come you have not introduced us to your large friend?"

"Oh he is shy."

"Sid, you have hurt yourself again." She looked at his back where the jellyfish had chewed on him and then licked her fingers and used her spit to wipe the dried blood off his face. Sid tried to pull away but she grabbed his chin and held him still. He whined like a little kid. "But Nana, you're spiting on me!" Nana smiled at him in her wise way, and continued to examine Sid's red skin where the Jellyfish had stung him.

Sid spoke up in a tiny, quiet voice, "Nana? Kong Li said I would die from the jellyfish stinging me. He said he changed it somehow with magic."

"I am sure you are fine. Most jellyfish won't kill you unless you have an allergic reaction to it. Where is it?"

"I threw it into the hot water… down there." Tobey pointed down in the crevasse. Nana looked thoughtful, "Do any of you know what kind it was? Can you describe it? The really poisonous ones that I know about are in the waters around Australia, not San Francisco."

Tobey offered some information. It was a Black Sea Nettle. They have only been seen as far up the coast as Monterey Bay, but little is really known about their habits – so it wouldn't have been too strange to find them here."

They all looked at Tobey. "Wow Tobey! You are a wealth of knowledge today. Since when do you know about jellyfish?" Sid poked him in the ribs and made him squeal.

Nana smiled at him, "It is good to HEAR from you again Tobey!" Tobey blushed.

"but you should have seen Sid! He cast the water spout spell at Kong Li." Tobey bragged for him.

"Ya, and Sue turned Kong Li's fire attack back toward him and gave him more of her own." Sid bragged for her.

Sue reached into Tobey's pocket and got the recipe without him objecting. "Nana! Look what Tobey found."

"Wonderful! Another one for the book. Well I guess you kids are going to learn magic with or without me." Nana smiled at them. "I am so proud of you all."

"It was really a 'pain' to get down here!" Tobey looked hopefully at Nana, "Nana? Do you know an easy way out of here?"

"Sure I do, but I don't want to bother my winged friend again just to save you some effort. Come on; show me how you got down here."

They all turned and limped slowly back the way they first came in. Eventually they got back to the pile where they had left their shirts and helmets. They put them back on and started climbing with Nana bringing up the rear. Sid got to the top first and used the cable to pull himself out.

Someone took his hand and helped him stand. He looked up to find Nana! "But! How did you?"

"You couldn't have passed me!" Sue and Tobey climbed out too and laughed when they saw Nana had beat them all.

"You have got to show us how you do that!"

************************************************3D

*"Old, Alone and Done For" – Peter Pan and the lost boys chant it at Jason Isaacs, Captain Hook. From the 2003 movie version of Peter Pan staring Jeremy Sumpter. OH Boy – was that ever a wonderful version of Peter Pan!

************************************************3D

[Tobee continued…]


	4. Chapter 4

When Friend's Attack [4]

Sweet Chocolate Terror

By CrystalQuirt

The Kids from Three Delivery are already off to their next challenge. Sue thinks she gets a present from Barney, but who really gave it to her. Danger and angst all around.

[[[[[[[[[[[[((((((((THREE DELIVERY))))))))]]]]]]]]]]]]

Mr. Wu's voice boomed from the kitchen. "Sid!" Deliveries!" Sid startled and looked around from his place in the booth. He had been totally concentrating on writing his song. Darn, I am the only one here? Or is he picking on me? He sighed and put down his guitar and went to the kitchen.

"Too much slacking – you kids are going to ruin my restaurant! Where are Sue and Tobey?"

"I don't know, do you want me to find them?" Sid asked hopefully, in case Mr. Wu might send one of them instead of him.

"No, just hurry up and deliver this to Drumm Street and the others are on the counter! I'm sure Tobey and Sue will show up when they are finished slacking!"

"Yes Mr. Wu."

"Honestly . . . KILLING me and ruining my restaurant . . . I don't know what . . . slackers . . . those kids . . .!" Sid could hear Mr. Wu grumbling to himself all the way down to the storeroom.

Sid went to the counter, and there were five bags sitting on it and they were all going to different addresses all over town. Wow, Barney was busy before he left. He sighed and started to load up the sacks in his arms when he heard Tobey loudly come in through the front door.

"Yah! Yah!" He exclaimed as he kicked air on his way through the dining area. He bounced up to the counter where Sid had been looking at the addresses. Tobey greeted him and put a small package with a pink ribbon around it on the end of the counter.

"You are just in time Tobey, let's split these up; they are going in opposite directions."

"Ok." He took the two bags that Sid handed to him and checked which way he was going. "Would you care to make a little wager for dishwashing on who will return first?"

"I have a better idea, since I have three stops and you only have two, instead of a race, let's see who comes back with more money – especially tip money."

"Your ON!" Tobey didn't stop to add anything up or consider Sid always got better tips than he did.

As they got on their bikes and Tobey took off, Sid called back to him, "Hey Tobey, what was in the little box, a present?"

Tobey was already stuffing shrimp from one of the orders in his mouth, steering with one hand, but yelled back, "Box w Sue fwib – shockla – fwubs one… ayb Barney… ove tat!" Sid heard him laughing as he leaned into a corner and disappeared.

"Wow, Barney gave Sue a box of chocolate? Did I hear him say 'Love'? Tee hee, it looks like Sue's dream finally came true!"

Sid went around the corner in the other direction, toward Mr. Wu's favorite market for meat.

Right before Barney went in to the market, he heard Sid call him as he rode up behind him. Sid was on his way to the second delivery, and still had one more to go. "Barney! You won't believe how happy you will make Sue by giving her the chocolate, but why didn't you give it to her yourself? You gotta work harder when you're courting the ladies."

Barney shrugged, "Hey man, I don't know what you're talking about. Besides I know all about courting the ladies – but I wasn't courting Sue."

"You don't have to be embarrassed! That was a wonderful thing to do for her, and I know she will be very happy!"

Barney looked confused, "I didn't give Sue any chocolate, but I hope when I get back, she can help me cut up the pork for the pork Lo Mein." Sid looked puzzled for a moment before saying he would see him later, and went on to deliver the order. Sid pulled a wheelie before going around the corner and Barney walked in the store.

Sid thought, I was sure Tobey said the box of chocolate for Sue was from Barney. Oh well, Tobey must have gotten it wrong. Who else would have given Sue some chocolate? Maybe she has a secret admirer! Or a boyfriend she is hiding from us!" Sid made a face and sped around a corner. "Or maybe Barney got them for her, and was just embarrassed when I caught him." Satisfied with that explanation for now, Sid arrived at his delivery and rang the doorbell.

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The little box of chocolates was still sitting on the counter when Sid got back. Sue was sitting in the booth texting someone on her phone. She looked up and greeted him. "Hey Sid."

"Hey Sue. What's going on? Is Tobey still out?"

"Ya, I think so, haven't seen him."

Sid got the little box from the counter and looked at it. "Well, this has your name on it, it must be from Barney." He waited to see if she said anything. Sue giggled out loud and blushed when she read the note!

"Well? Who is it from?" Sid asked.

"You said it was from Barney!" Sue jumped up and did a pirouette on her way to the kitchen to get some hot chocolate. Sid followed her.

"No-I said it was probably from Barney . . . What are you doing?"

"I'm going out to the garden to wait for Barney to come back."

"Come on Sue! Tell me what the note says!"

"No, it's none of your business."

Sid frowned and then realized what she was doing. "You're having hot chocolate to go with your chocolate candy?" he cracked up and had to hold his stomach. "Yur either very upset, or yur in loOove!" Sid teased.

"Don't you worry your little head about it." Sue went out in the garden with her chocolate feast, and Sid went back to playing his guitar in a booth. His sheets of paper with the music notes scribbled all over them, were still on the table where he left them before the deliveries and he started shuffling through them.

[[[[[[[[[[[[((((((((THREE DELIVERY))))))))]]]]]]]]]]]]

Sue sat cross-legged on one of the benches in the far corner by the flowers and watched humming birds as they visited each flower. She couldn't wait until Barney got home to thank him. She looked again at the note:

"I can't keep it to myself anymore, so I'll just tell you. I think that you're the most beautiful girl that I've ever seen. When you smile at me, it makes the world seem like a better place. Please consider these chocolates an appetizer, the beginning of things to come, not the dessert at the end! I would love to take you out to dinner, to someplace besides Wu's, if you would let me."

Sue couldn't help but giggle each time she read it! She had been waiting for so long for Barney to even show her a little attention- and now this was more than she could have ever hoped for!

Butter Cream filled! The first chocolate started to melt the second it touched her tongue and she thought it was the smoothest, most wonderful chocolate ever – AND Barney had given it to her! She rubbed her cheek on the box.

A melody ran through her head, "Sue Yee, Sue Yee, Soon to be, Sue Wu! Wait a minute. She thought, Sue Wu? I may have to work a little harder to swallow that one. Sue Yee Wu, Sue Yee Wu – now that had a better flow. She giggled again.

She took a sip of hot chocolate, and put in another small chocolate bite. This one had orange filling. She sipped the hot chocolate and let the warm, sweet liquid bliss flow into every corner of her mouth.

An orange-chested hummingbird came to visit the flowers right over Sue's head and as she watched it, she thought, it doesn't get any better than this! The last sip of hot chocolate went down so smoothly she just had to follow it with one more chocolate piece. Mmmmm, filled with Plum cream!

She grinned as it melted and she sat the box down next to her on the bench. Swirls of blue energy hovered around the little box and around Sue. "Magical." She thought, as she laid back on the bench to think about Barney.

She was floating so high on her 'chocolates from Barney' buzz that she didn't realize the blue effect had been real and magic really was at work.

[[[[[[[[[[[[((((((((THREE DELIVERY))))))))]]]]]]]]]]]]

Sid was so into his music, that he didn't even look up when Tobey came back. Tobey had only got 2 bucks tip so he really didn't want to talk to him and admit to losing their bet. The one that was his idea, sort of.

Tobey quietly walked all the way through the restaurant and out the back door. Out in the garden, he saw Sue near the back corner, lying on her back on the bench.

Tobey was completely recovered from his last encounter with Kong Li and had no lasting ill effects from the really scary spell. His headache was gone and had almost as much energy as he always had. Most importantly-he could eat as much as he ever did!

Tobey went to the corner of the garden to see Sue. She heard him coming and sat up to wait for him to get there.

"What cha doin' Sue?" Sue turned toward Tobey and examined her fingernails closely like she had not seen them in a while. She made fists and opened her hands slowly and thoughtfully. Then she watched Tobey. He sat down on the grass in front of her. "Is your wrist bothering you again?"

A bug crawling through the grass in front of where he sat caught his attention. "Sue? Check out this bug!" Sue stood up facing him and straightened her shirt.

The next thing Tobey felt was blinding pain as his head snapped back after his face connected with the toe of Sue's shoe. Tobey fell back on the grass and rolled over holding his eye with both hands. "Ow! Sue?" his voice cracked – he thought it entirely possible that she broke his cheek.

Before he could get up, she kicked him again in the ribs. "Arggh, what's going on?" Tobey tried harder to get up, Sue reached down and grabbed his shirt and pulled him up, but she wasn't helping him. She rammed her knee into his abdomen, sidestepped and kicked the back of his knee and dropped him down in the grass again. "Sue! What did I do?" His voice got higher and higher, he rolled over on his back with his arms up to ward her off.

Sue still said nothing as she aimed another kick at Tobey's head. Tobey rolled out of the way just in time and stood up to face her. He had finally realized that she really was trying to hurt him. He just couldn't believe it.

"SUE! What's wrong? Why are you mad? But even if you're mad . . . ?"

Tobey thought an instant, even if she was mad at him, she wouldn't be trying seriously to hurt him, and he was definitely hurting and he was pretty sure she had broken his ribs. This couldn't be Sue-or something was very wrong with her.

Before he could finish his thought, Sue jumped up and kicked him in the chest. Tobey fell back, but was still able to block her when she tried to stomp on him. He kicked her legs out from under her and she fell back and rolled, getting back up right way. He rolled over the other way and tried to run for the back door, but she tackled him and punched his broken ribs over and over from behind while she sat on his legs to hold him down.

Tobey cried out while gasping for air and went limp as he tried to catch his breath. Sue laughed and as she got off of him, she kicked him one more time. He moaned and rolled over on his back to try to get up while holding his ribs. He fell back on his butt and looked up at her. It looked like Sue's neck had swollen up, and he blinked as he looked at her.

"Sue, what's wrong with your neck?" As if in an answer to his question, she SPIT at him!

"Hey! That's GROSS!" Tobey rolled and got out of the way just in time. Dark purple spit hit a rock by where his head had been and bubbled on it like it was cooking on the rock's surface.

Sue had purple spit running down her chin and she said, "Die!" and charged at him. She caught him as he tried to scramble away from her on his hands and knees. She pulled him up again by the back of his shirt and put him in a chokehold.

Tobey struggled and tried to pull her arm away from his neck. "Too Strong," he whispered. She had him kneeling and he couldn't kick or twist around. As she tightened her hold on Tobey's neck, Sue laughed and her eyes turned completely purple.

[[[[[[[[[[[[((((((((THREE DELIVERY))))))))]]]]]]]]]]]]

Sid came out and saw what was going on out by the fountain. At first he thought they were sparing or wrestling. Tobey usually lost those matches against Sue, but something was wrong this time. Tobey looked scared, and was turning blue as he struggled to get away. Sue was not letting go of him even though she had clearly won.

"Sue! Let him go! You won already!" Sid butted in as he walked toward them. When Sue looked at Sid, he saw her eyes were glowing purple and her lips looked black. "Ew-What's with the makeup?" Tobey stopped struggling and his arms fell to his sides. Sid gasped and ran toward them. "SUE-STOP!" let him go!"

Sue didn't let him go, so Sid charged her. Instead of letting Tobey go, with super-human strength, Sue picked Tobey up with one hand around his neck and the other under his thigh and threw him at Sid!

Sid tried to catch him and they both went down. Tobey landed face-down across Sid's stomach. Tobey began to cough violently as Sid rolled him off so he could get up.

Sid bent down and looked at him. "You alright, Tobey?"

Tobey nodded and coughed some more and grabbed his side. At least he was breathing again. Each cough racked his body with pain that started at his ribs.

Sid stood to face Sue. "What did he do that was so terrible? SUE! You could have killed him!"

"Maybe I still will, but now-YOU FIRST!" Sue ran at her brother, and Sid took defense. She leaped and kicked at his head. He blocked and stepped aside. She spun in the air and landed facing him. Sue's eyes were still so strange, scary strange. He glanced down at Tobey who had stopped coughing and was trying to get up.

"No Tobey, stay down- I will take care of Sue!"

"No problem. You can have her." Tobey said, but still tried to get up to go get Nana. A sharp pain in his head made him fall back down to his knees and elbows to hold his face where her first kick had landed. He thought briefly that he didn't know if his head or his ribs hurt more.

Sue kicked at Sid again and they struck at each other and blocked each other's attacks over and over. Sue did a back flip away from Sid, her foot barely missing his jaw as she went. She landed on her feet on top of the bench she had been sitting on. "Sue! Tell me what's wrong!"

Sid saw the box of candy that Barney had denied giving to her. He saw the wisps of blue energy that surrounded it "Magic!" He screamed for Nana before trying to reason with his sister.

"Oh no-SUE! You have to STOP-the chocolate was a magic recipe! It wasn't from Barney!"

"What chocolate? I am here to kill you!" Sue's neck swelled and she SPIT at his face.

"Ewe!" Sid ducked and it went past him. She jumped off the bench and landed on him. Her grip on his shirt was so powerful the material tore and she spit again. Instead of a glob it was more of a purple spray this time and was unavoidable. Sid screamed as it went in his eyes. He covered his eyes with his hands as she back-flipped off of him. "Aaaghha! It BURNS!"

Tobey heard Sid's screams of pain and looked back. "Sid?"

Sid had rolled away from where he thought his sister was trying to kill him and stood up. He couldn't open his eyes for the burning. He was backing up with one hand covering his eyes and the other held out toward Sue, who jumped at him to deliver a round kick to his stomach.

"NO!" Tobey yelled as he watched Sid get kicked so hard he flew through the air. He screamed for Nana again before he changed direction and ran back to where Sue and Sid were.

"Is it your turn again?" Sue turned to face Tobey's charge, and visible behind her, Sid landed on his back in a flowerbed that surrounded the fountain.

Tobey stopped short when he saw Sue had turned her attention back on him. Sid was on his back in the flower bed, yelling and kicking with his feet from the pain, his eyes covered with both hands.

"Sue? No . . . Sid!" Tobey reluctantly braced himself for her attack, but he felt the air move at his elbow as someone shot past him.

Nana ran right up to Sue without saying a word. She had looked out the window, and saw a few seconds of the un-natural fight between her kids.

Unbelievably Sue raised her fist to Nana and lunged at her! Nana stopped her with one palm to her chest. Sue fell backwards and screamed in anger as Nana landed on top and held her down. Tobey went to Sid before looking back at Nana and Sue.

Sue's neck swelled up, and Tobey saw it. "Nana! Watch out!" Nana flipped Sue over in the grass and a wad of purple slim ran out harmlessly burning the grass by her head.

Tobey saw purple slime in Sid's eyes as he writhed around in the flowerbed. He held Sid as still as he could with one hand while he scooped water from the fountain that was right next to them with the other hand, repeating it over and over to rinse out Sid's eyes.

"Sid-KEEP your hands away-hold still!" Sid made fists and concentrated on keeping his hands away from his eyes, but they burned so badly! He arched his back and panted and gasped, "Where's Sue?"

"Nana is taking care of her. Hold still!" Tobey caught both of Sid's flailing hands and held them together pressed to his chest with one hand. Sid tried harder to hold still and Tobey kept splashing water in his eyes.

Nana made Sue drink something from a small bottle and Sue stopped struggling. Within a moment, Sue went limp. Nana stood up and went to the boys.

Tobey glanced over at Sue lying on her stomach where Nana had left her. "Nana-Sue?" Tobey asked as he rubbed the last of the purple off of Sid's cheek with his hand.

"Don't worry Tobey, she is sleeping. She won't wake up until I make up the antidote to fix this."

The burning had almost stopped since Tobey rinsed Sid's eyes out so well. Tobey felt Sid relax a little and released his hands. Sid used his knuckles to rub the last of the water from his eyes and sat up. "Thanks Tobey!" The skin around his eyes was red and irritated and looked like it had been burned. His voice sounded shaky.

Tobey let himself fall back on his butt in the flowers. "Nana, what happened to Sue?"

"Magic recipe, I don't know which one yet Tobey, but she is safe for now." Tobey and Nana watched Sid as he continued to blink and rub his eyes. "Sid, how are you feeling?"

He opened his eyes to look at her, but gasped and squeezed them shut them again. "Nana, I can't . . . I can't see!"

Tobey scooted to Sid's side and put his hand on his shoulder. "It will be ok Sid."

Nana saw that Tobey was developing a black eye, and held his ribs like they really hurt. Tobey, can you help Sid inside? I will bring Sue in. We are going to the storeroom.

[[[[[[[[[[[[((((((((THREE DELIVERY))))))))]]]]]]]]]]]]

Sid sat up on top of the workbench. While Tobey made sure Sue would be comfortable, Nana bandaged Sid's eyes. She spread a thin layer of yellow goo from one of her bottles on two squares of gauze and placed them gently over his eyes. Then he held a layer of cotton in place while she wrapped gauze all the way around his head. "That will help with the stinging and start to heal your burned skin while we make the antidote for the recipe.

"Thanks Nana."

Tobey made Sue a bed on the floor so she would be more comfortable out of the bean bag chair from his room and a pile of blankets and pillows from the linen closet. It looked like a huge bird's nest. After he got everything arranged he and Nana gently placed her in the center of it. He watched her for a moment.

Muscles twitched as the magic in the recipe fought against the spell that Nana put on her to make her sleep. Her eyelids fluttered open wide sometimes and Tobey could see that they were still dark purple and her irises were not visible. Occasionally she would moan when the muscle spasms would happen at the same time as a breath.

Nana had to explain to him more than once, that she was not waking up too soon. Sid could hear his sister's moans and their concerned voices and it tore him up inside. He kicked the front of the cabinet with his heel.

"Sid?"

"Sorry Nana but I am just so frustrated."

Sid was feeling totally worthless. He couldn't even help research or mix ingredients. He had never experienced what it was like to be blind and was totally scared out of his wits. He thought about how he had a new appreciation for people who lived in this situation and got tears in his eyes- he thought it was good his eyes were covered so no one would see that he was about to cry.

Tobey's black eye had caused his eyelids to swell shut. He held an ice pack pressed against it while he turned pages in a book of magic with one hand. He sat on the floor in the corner. Nana sat in the only chair in the storeroom with books in her lap and beside her on the counter. What was left of the box of chocolates sat on the counter too.

Nana wondered, "Where did Sue get the box of chocolate?"

Sid answered, "Tobey brought it to her."

"Tobey, where did you get it?"

Sid answered again before Tobey could open his mouth. "He said Barney gave it to him to give to her."

"No Sid, I didn't say that."

"Well what did you say? I guess I didn't understand because your mouth was stuffed too full of someone's order."

"I said it was a box for Sue with chocolate in it from 'someone' and that they beat Barney too it."

Nana interrupted the boys, "Well Tobey, who gave you the box?"

"No one. I found it sitting on her bicycle seat, parked outside. I brought it in so the pigeons wouldn't get it."

Nana thought it sounded just like Kong Li as she pointed to a page in her book. "This is the one. It is the Purple Venom of Plum Sauce Recipe. It replaces the consciousness of the victim with an evil one that the one who used the recipe can command and control. Sounds just like Kong Li. The victim is equipped with super-human strength and will spit purple, poisonous venom.

"Venom?" Tobey asked.

"Poisonous?" Sid confirmed.

"What do we do?" They said together.

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Tobee Continued . . .


	5. Chapter 5 Poison and Plum

When Friend's Attack: [5]

Poison and Plum Cheeks

By CrystalQuirt

Nana must prepare a recipe to save Sid quickly while Tobey and Sue find the last ingredient.

Violence, angst and scary situations.

[[[[[[[[[[[[((((((((THREE DELIVERY))))))))]]]]]]]]]]]]

From Part 4

Nana thought it sounded just like Kong Li as she pointed to a page in her book. "This is the one. It is the Purple Venom of Plum Sauce Recipe. It replaces the consciousness of the victim with an evil one that the one who used the recipe can command and control. The victim is equipped with super-human strength and will spit purple, poisonous venom.

"Venom?" Tobey asked.

"Poisonous?" Sid confirmed.

"What do we do?" They said together.

[[[[[[[[[[[[((((((((THREE DELIVERY))))))))]]]]]]]]]]]]

Nana spoke to Tobey and Sid, explaining their situation and what it would take to save Sue and restore Sid's sight.

"Well, there are two different antidotes, one for the recipe that is affecting Sue and another one to reverse the effects of the venom that she was spitting, for Sid. I already have most of the ingredients, but Tobey, do you feel well enough to get these few ingredients that we still need for the recipes?

"Sure Nana – Anything!"

Tobey read from the list "Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Fennel, Tahini paste, Carob Flakes and Kudzu sauce."

"Only five things – I will hurry and be back before you know it."

"You will have to go to Clark's Organics for most of it. Please go by the farmer's market on the way back to get the fresh ingredients."

"No problem Nana – I will be back soon." As he went by Sid, he grabbed his knee and tickled him. It scared Sid, more than tickled since he couldn't see it coming, but he smiled at Tobey's antics like he always did. Tobey said, "Don't worry, things will be fine, Sid."

"I hope your right." Sid mumbled. Tobey was out the door in two more steps. Sue moaned again, it sounded to Sid like she was in severe pain. "Sue. Please! Isn't there anymore you can do for her Nana?"

"Sid, she really is fine, for now there is nothing else anyone can do. She is unconscious. Kong Li's evil magic is trying to fight to the surface and take her over again."

Sid squeezed his eyes tight closed under the bandages trying not to cry.

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Tobey found the Tahini paste and the Kudzu sauce quickly enough but had to ask about the Carob. He really didn't like hearing the answer.

"What do you mean you are out of carob?" he whined. "But my friends need it! IT'S A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH!"

The clerk looked at him like he was four shades of nuts- and shrugged. Tobey paid for what he did find and set off for the farmer's market. Once there he found the cilantro and fennel. Actually he bought three fennel bulbs, one to eat on the way back. But the farmers market had no carob either.

He called Nana from in front of the store and asked "Nana what do I do? The places I've been don't have carob flakes, or any other kind of carob!"

Nana had her phone on speaker since her hands were in cinnamon and basil leaves kneading them with Oyster sauce and buckwheat flour. Sid heard what was going on.

Nana instructed Tobey, "Bring back what you have – then we will call some other places from here and find out who has some carob."

After Tobey's call ended Sid asked. "Nana, the carob, what part of the recipe was it for?"

"It is used in the recipe to cure the venom, to restore your sight. Is that what you mean?"

He wanted to make sure he understood. "So when he gets back, you will have all the ingredients to help Sue?"

"Yes Sid." Nana replied, without looking away from her recipe. Sid felt relieved. He got up and kept his hand on the table to follow it to the door.

Nana didn't look back, but asked him, "Where are you going?"

"I gotta go to the bathroom."

"Hang on a second, I will wipe my hands and guide you."

"No! I am fine- Sue needs you to work on the antidote, I can at least get to the bathroom on my own."

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Tobey came rushing back through the dining room, through the kitchen, and past Barney.

Barney said "Hey" and Tobey said "Hey" as he ran by. Barney finished stirring the ginger chicken sauce and put the bowl back on the counter. "Boy that kid really needs to slow down and enjoy life."

Mr. Wu was already yelling at Barney again for about the twenty-fifth time that day to 'clean up this mess.' He yelled, "If I fall in your ginger sauce, I will make sure you are under me when I land!" Mr. Wu chuckled as Barney shuddered and went to get the mop.

The mop bucket was in the broom closet, next to the bathroom. He pulled it into the hall and turned on the faucet to fill it with water, ooops, first he had to take out the 'El Burito Grosso' burrito that Tobey had hid in it at lunch. He threw it at the can and it went in. "Yes! Points for me!" he paused to wave his hands in the air.

Barney had been thinking about what Sid had said, since he said it. About how happy Sue would be because he gave her a little box of chocolate. Wow, he thought it would take more than that to make her as happy as Sid seemed to think it would. Barney added the soap to the bucket, screwed the cap back on, and put it back on the shelf in the closet.

Why would that make Sue so happy, she could always just go get her own chocolate if that is what made her happy, couldn't she? The more he thought about it, the more he realized maybe he should try it. Only, she has already had chocolate now, would she want something else?

The mop didn't really fit in the wringer and he had to stuff it in three different ways to wring it out enough. It was too big, and water splashed all over the floor each time he turned it over. He went back in the kitchen to 'clean up this mess!' and left the wet floor and bucket in the hall, in front of the bathroom door. Barney's father's words repeated in his head over and over, replacing his thoughts about Sue. He really was clueless.

Tobey bounced in like he was hearing music in his head, he just couldn't help it. He was sure everything would be fine, and his friends would be as good as new very soon. After giving Nana the ingredients, Tobey sat down by Sue on the blanket with the phone book, but before he could even find the market section they heard Sid screaming. Tobey jumped up and ran with Nana right behind him. Barney heard him too and went back out in the hall from the kitchen.

"Noisy Kids," is all Mr. Wu yelled.

Water and soap was all over and the mop bucket had turned over. Sid had slid in the water and fell over the mop bucket that he didn't know was there. He was lying on his side against the wall holding his wrist screaming for help.

Barney saw him first and panicked. He didn't know what to do first! "Oh no-man! Sid! What happened? Your eyes!" he had not seen Sid with his eyes bandaged, and no one told him what happened to his friends. He saw Tobey and Nana were coming and told Sid to stay still. Barney also noticed that Tobey had a patch over his eye too.

Sid tried to get up anyway and knocked into the mop bucket again and rolled onto his back. Sid screamed "Help!' loudly and put his arms up like he was trying to protect himself.

Tobey slid up to Sid on his knees. "Sid, it's ok-we're here." He put his hand on Sid's shoulder hoping to comfort him. "Why are you so scared? Did you hurt yourself?" He saw Sid was shaking and breathing very fast.

"Tobey!" Sid tried to calm himself, he felt a little embarrassed. He rolled on his side to get up and pushed up with his hand. "Crap!" Sid exclaimed when his wrist wouldn't support his weight. He fell back down on his side and cried out, "Ahgrr."

Sid had fallen many times, especially off his bike but this was the most terrifying fall he had ever experienced. It was even worse than when he tried to jump off the restaurant roof with his bike, after Tobey did it when they were little. That time had not ended well for either one of them, but at least he saw it coming.

Nana kneeled beside Tobey and one look from her and he understood she wanted him to go back and sit with Sue.

"I will help Sid." Nana assured him as he went back to the storeroom. They didn't want Barney to know Sue was having a problem too.

"Sid! You are ok, relax." She put her hand under his shoulder and helped him sit up. He tried to focus and calm himself again – he was safe after all with Nana and his friends near.

"What happened to Sid's eyes?" Barney asked Nana, this time. He was very concerned. ". . . and what happened to Tobey's eye too?"

"They are fine, just a little mishap with some cleaning fluid – we will be able to take off the bandages in a short while."

Barney kneeled next to Sid too. "Sid I m sorry, if I had known you couldn't see I would have never left the mop bucket out man." Barney was feeling terrible.

"It's ok Barney – I am ok, and like you said, you didn't know. Guess I shoulda let Nana help me after all."

Barney and Nana helped Sid stand and Nana guided him back to the storeroom. Barney started to mop the hallway and put the bucket away.

Nana helped Sid sit down on the blanket next to Sue where he could lean on the wall and be close to his sister. Tobey was on the other side with the phone book making his calls. Sue was resting more quietly than she had been, but her eyelids still fluttered, flashing the deep purple color under them.

Sid leaned back against the wall with his wrist wresting in his lap. He heard Tobey calling the first place, and felt hopeful. But after hearing the fifth market tell Tobey no, Sid was feeling down even lower than when he fell over the bucket. He bounced the back of his head off the wall a few times.

Tobey heard Sid's head, "Don't worry Sid someone in Chinatown will have carob flakes or some kind of carob that we can make flakes out of."

"Thanks Tobey."

Nana came back over to him with a small bowl and a pastry brush and kneeled down in front of Sid. "I am in front of you Sid. Sue's antidote is ready and I am going to give it to her. Sid scooted over a little in case she needed more room.

Nana instructed Tobey to sit Sue up, which he did and he kept his arm around her to support her back. Nana turned her hands palms up and painted a thin layer of the brown liquid in the center of her palms. Then she applied a thin layer to Sue's fluttering eyelids and they stopped twitching.

The pastry brush went back into bowl and got soaked again with brown liquid. Nana opened Sue's mouth with her finger and put the bristles of the brush against the roof of her mouth. Some of the liquid dripped down her throat and she swallowed reflexively. Nana told Tobey to lay Sue back down. As he did the blue energy swirled and there was a flash of white light.

Sue moaned. Nana opened Sue's eyelid with her finger and her eyes had returned to normal. "Sid, Sue will be fine-her eyes have already returned to normal." Sid really was happy, and relieved for Sue. He felt guilty and silently kicked himself for thinking that he wished his eyes were back to normal too.

Nana looked at Sid before she got up. "Sid? You are sweating. How are you feeling?"

"Hot, and a little weak. I can't stop my hands from shaking." His hair had become so wet it was sticking to his face and the bandage that covered his eyes was damp.

"It's worse than I thought. It is part of what the Plum Venom does, and it has happened faster than I had hoped. Tobey, get back on the phone and find the carob-fast!"

Sid heard Nana get up and walk away from him. He tried to wipe off some of the sweat with his hand. Nana returned and kneeled by Sid. "Sid I am here, I will touch your face. "Ok" Sid thought it was nice how she told him what she was doing so she didn't scare him.

Nana had brought over towels moist with cool water and wiped his head and face. She had him take off his shirt and wiped his arms chest and stomach down with it. Nana rolled another wet towel and put it across the back of his neck and over his shoulders.

"That should help you cool off and keep you more comfortable Sid."

"Thanks Nana. Thanks for taking care of me – it is better than I ever could have hoped for once."

"I know, and really-you will be fine. Kong Li will not win this."

Sid asked, "Nana? Will this venom be doing anything else to me anytime soon?"

"Don't worry Sid. We will have the antidote very soon." Sid could hear that Nana had gone back to chopping and mixing. He noticed that she didn't deny it, she didn't say it wouldn't do anything else to him.

"Right, Sid said softly and sighed. Tobey made three more calls.

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"Ow." Was the first thing they heard Sue say when she awakened. She put her hand to her head and sat up.

"Sue, are you back? Are you, you again?" Tobey was still a little afraid of her and couldn't help but lean back away. Sid smiled at hearing her sisters voice but didn't say anything or move at all. He could already tell, she was fine now.

Sue saw Tobey first and remembered everything that happened all at once. "Oh Tobey! Your eye! I can't believe I kicked you in the face like that! I am so sorry!"

"Trying to choke me wasn't much fun either. . . Come here!" Tobey reached forward again and pulled her over to him for a hug. "I understand, and I am so happy you are back with us." He whispered into her hair. "Thanks Tobey."

Sue suddenly pulled away from Tobey, "Oh No-Sid!" She looked around and saw him sitting in the corner on her other side with both eyes bandaged.

"Oh no, Sid? Sid! What did I do?" Sue slid over to him on her knees and pulled him away from the wall to hug him. Still having nothing to say, his reaction was to put his arms around her too. If his eyes had not been bandaged they would have know he was crying with the joy he felt.

"I can't believe I did those horrible things to you guys! I didn't mean to…I don't know what happened but I couldn't stop!"

Sid spoke softly and hugged her tighter, "It's ok Sue, you didn't do this to us, Kong Li did. Are you feeling ok?" Sue started crying as she nodded, 'yes' into his shoulder. Sid put his hand behind his sister's head and held her tight. She felt ok physically, but her mind was racing trying to understand what could have happened to make her turn against them.

Sid turned his face into her neck and continued in a soft voice. "None of this was your fault, Mei Mei."

Nana had been watching, and reminded Tobey to keep making calls. He looked at the page and realized he was about to the end of the market in Chinatown. He continued on, just sure the next call would be the one.

Sue lifted her head off Sid's shoulder and sat up straight. "But how did it wind up affecting me? How did I get a recipe that Kong Li prepared?"

"I'm sorry Sue, but it turned out the candy wasn't from Barney. We just thought it had to be when Tobey found it by your bike. I hate that it wasn't from Barney- I know you would have really loved for it to have been."

Sue looked at the floor. Her disappointment about the candy didn't come close to how bad she felt about Sid and Tobey being hurt. She gave Sid's and Tobey's hands a squeeze before she got up to go to Nana. As she helped crush the garlic and slice the celery, Nana told her more detail about what had gone on.

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It seemed like it had been forever. Sid could still hear Sue and Nana talking in soft voices and heard the chopping and stirring.

"This must be a complicated recipe, and we don't even have all the ingredients. I'm shrimp toast." Sid mumbled to himself and scooted out from the wall to lie down on his side, facing away from the others.

Tobey heard him. "Sid?" but Sid didn't say anything and Tobey dialed the next number. Sid listened as Tobey asked about Carob, again, and really wasn't surprised it was another negative answer. He heard Tobey sigh this time and the key-tones as Tobey angrily dialed the next store.

The next one was another NO. Tobey looked over at Sid still facing away from everyone and got a lump in his throat. The lump was going to make it hard to make the next call. He got a drink and sat back down swallowing the lump and focusing on his job again.

It took the next store seven rings to answer, and after he asked about Carob, it took them forever to get back to the phone, but when they did the answer was finally-yes!

"Sid! Nana! They have some-I found it!"

"Good Tobey, you can go right away!" Nana praised him and Sue said "Wonderful!"

Tobey looked back over at Sid, who hadn't moved. "Sid! Did you hear? We found some carob!"

When there was still no response so Tobey crawled across the blanket to him. Nana and Sue watched. Sue put her hands over her mouth – she didn't know yet why she felt so scared all of a sudden.

Tobey pulled on Sid's shoulder and he rolled limply onto his back. "Sid! No!" Tobey shook his arm with no response.

Nana and Sue ran to him too. Sid was unconscious. Sue took her brother's hand in hers, "Nana! What's happened to him?"

"The Purple Venom of Plum has gone into the next stage of infection. I had hoped Sid wouldn't reach this stage."

"But it will be ok. I want both of you to go get the Carob."

"Nana I want to stay and help you with Sid!" Sue sounded like she would cry "I can't leave him."

"Yes you can. You trust me to care for him don't you?"

"Yes Nana." She put Sid's hand on his stomach and stood up.

"Yummy Wok Health, is all the way downtown, in San Francisco, in the traffic this time of day it could take hours to ride there on our bikes, or even in a car."

"Yes it is important you go quickly. We can't afford to let Sid wait any longer." Nana stood up and gave Sue the money. Then she led them to the hallway and motioned for them to go first.

"Your transportation is out in the garden. You will go straight there and straight back, Hurry!" Nana went back in the storeroom, leaving Tobey and Sue standing in the hallway.

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"Transportation?" Tobey and Sue ran for the garden. At first they didn't see anything, certainly nothing to transport them anywhere. Then there was movement and a shimmering of light off the creatures black scales. "The Dragon!" They ran over and Tobey jumped on without hesitating he bent forward and hugged the giant creature. Sue slowed down as she went past his head and patted him over his eye. The dragon made a deep rumble that sounded like fire roaring inside. Dragon purring? Sue jumped up and landed behind Tobey on the dragon's back.

"What do we do? How do we tell it where we want to go?" Tobey asked her.

"I don't think we have to do anything but hang on." Sue was right, the dragon flapped once and lifted into the air, gone from being in sight of the restaurant in an instant. The cold air rushing past their faces was exhilarating and dried their tears for Sid for a moment anyway.

In practically no time, they arrived at the store. No one saw the dragon land on the roof. Tobey and Sue jumped off and down to the ground using a fence and some boxes sitting outside. The store even had the carob in the flaked form that Nana had requested. They bought as much as they had money for and jumped back up on the roof the same way they got down.

The dragon was waiting for them and took off again as soon as they jumped on.

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Nana didn't want the others around if she could help it to witness what was happening next. She had already mixed something to help make Sid more comfortable, and get him through the next stage of the venom's effect. The timing to give it to him had to be right. Since he had passed out, she knew he would be nearing the final stage and she had to keep him comfortable and delay it as long as possible.

After Tobey and Sue were gone, she locked the storeroom door from the inside. Then Nana sat down right next to Sid with scissors, a wooden spoon and bowl of red liquid in her lap. His muscles started twitching and he moaned involuntarily.

Nana reached up with the scissors to take the bandages off his eyes. She took the gauze from his eyelids and pulled them apart to see in his eyes. Sid's pupils were dilated, but had remained his normal, beautiful brown-black color.

"That is good Sid, you are fine." She spoke to him even though she knew he couldn't answer her. She wasn't sure that he couldn't hear her. "You are going to feel some discomfort, even pain for a few moments, but I am here and will give you something to make you feel better right away." During this time, he would be capable of poisoning anyone else around him that was not prepared.

Of all the recipes Kong Li might have found and used against her kids this was one of the worst. Nana often regretted getting them involved. She told them how dangerous it was, and was sure they understood. They all three wanted to do it anyway.

It had been foretold to Nana, when she was very young and her teachers even back then, had told her that the three kids she chose would be Chinatown's only hope of defeating the evil that Kong Li would call forth. But it was times like this, when she had regrets.

Sid opened his eyes, but Nana knew he was not really waking up. "It's beginning now Sid; relax as much as you can." She used her fingers to open his jaw and put the wooden spoon handle across between his teeth he closed his mouth on it and bit down as the muscles cramped in his neck. He moaned loudly. Nana got up on her knees and readied the bowl by holding it over his head.

Sid's whole body convulsed and came up off the floor. Nana put one hand in the middle of his chest and pushed him back down while his arms and legs jerked uncontrollably. His head went back and he screamed past the spoon handle, his jaw still clamped down on it hard enough to crack the wood. Purple spit ran out of the corners of his mouth.

Nana put the bowl down closer to his head as it jerked back and forth and let the red liquid pour across his eyes. Sid blinked and stared like he was unaware of the red liquid washing over his eyes. The recipe would get into his system through the membranes and tissue around his eyes and help his body get through this without further damage but it would take a moment and Sid continued to scream and writhe around on the blanket. Nana held him down so he couldn't hurt himself. "Hang on Sid, let the recipe help you. I know you can get through this."

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Tobey and Sue jumped off the dragon's back and Sue thanked him before running in the back door. They skidded to a stop in front of the door, Barney was already outside the door trying to get in. "You guys got back just in time! I can't get in!"

Sue asked Tobey softly, "Would Nana have locked the door?"

"No way, she needs what we have brought for Sid fast!"

"What are you two talking about? Come on – help me" Barney shook the door handle and pounded on the door – "I heard Sid screaming in there!"

"Go on Barney, we will take care of this." Sue said, but they didn't think they had time to argue with him or even wait for him to leave and she and Tobey kicked the door in together.

Tobey and Sue landed inside with Barney still right behind them. Nana was holding Sid down on the blankets while is body convulsed – and what looked like blood to them at first, covered his eyes and ran into his hair!

Nana said, "Well kids, you two traveled faster than I thought you could. I had hoped you wouldn't be here for this, but it is fine, as long as you are here, Tobey hold down his legs. Sue put the carob on the counter. Barney shut the door."

Barney shut the door and watched quietly with his mouth open. Sue got to Sid's side as quickly as she could and found he had already stopped convulsing and was lying quietly. Tobey let go of his ankles and just stared. "Tobey, get some warm water from the sink and several clean towels."

"Nana?"

"Sue, you two clean him up, don't worry – it is just a recipe I had to pour into his eyes. The cranberries made it look gruesome didn't they?" Nana smiled and was as calm as if she was talking about a fruit pie. "Just be careful not to get any of the purple colored liquid on you, here are some gloves."

Sue looked a little relieved, put on the gloves and dipped the first towel into the warm water Tobey held in a large bowl of water for her to use. She started wiping the red out of his eyes and off his face.

Nana got up to add the carob and finish the recipe. "Barney, everything is ok. You can go back and see if Calvin needs help."

"But . . . but . . . but . . . "

"Barney you sound like a car with a bad muffler." Nana told him.

"Nana, what kind of cleaning fluid could have caused this? Are you sure Sid is ok?" Barney looked over at Sid.

"Don't worry, I got rid of that cleaning fluid and Sid will be fine very soon, you'll see."

"Ok, call me if you need anything." Barney wasn't convinced but he did have a job to do, and it was almost time for wrestling on TV.

Sue let the warm water run down into Sid's hair to rinse the last of the recipe out of it. Then she put the clean towel they had left folded under his head. She put a blanket over him because his skin felt cold and clammy.

"Sid?" Sue held his hand over the blanket and put her forehead on the back of it. Tobey put the bowl of water out of the way, and stepped carefully over Sid to be by Sue.

Tobey gave Sue a hug while they waited quietly for something to happen. Sid seemed to be resting. Tobey found the scissors nearby and cut the bandage off his eye, without asking Nana. It had turned into a very dark, black and blue bruise. Sue picked up his bangs to get a better look at it and he let her, blushing a little. "Tobey . . ."

Tobey smiled at her, "I'm thinking of using your make up to make my other eye match it. What do you think?" Sue smiled, but seeing his eye that had been hidden under the bandage made tears come to her own eyes again.

Nana soon brought a bowl and kneeled down by Sid. Sue and Tobey watched with great interest while she let some of the recipe soak more gauze squares which she placed over his eyes again.

Sue held up Sid's head a little while Nana lightly wrapped bandage around his head. Sue had a knot in her stomach from apprehension. Nanas recipes always worked, if not right away – she always knew how to fix it, but Sue was still scared. Tobey was too, as he watched them work.

"Nana? . . . Will it take long for the recipe to work?" Sue asked.

"It should be pretty fast." If the Plum slime had only gotten on his skin, the burns would be healed very quickly by covering them with this, and the poison in his system would be neutralized through his skin.

I am not sure how long it will take to heal his eyes. It is better that there was no damage in his eyes that I could see. Nana looked thoughtful for a moment before wetting the pastry brush. She put it in his mouth and let a little of the mixture run into Sid's mouth as she had for Sue.

After just a moment the magic worked. The blue energy swirled around Sid's body and he started to move! He put his head back and took a deep breath. "Sid?"

Sue said his name again before he startled and quickly jerked his hands to the bandages covering his eyes. "Oh ya." He said as he remembered where he was and why he couldn't see.

"Hi Sue."

"I'm here too." Tobey said from his other side, "and so is Nana. She gave you the antidote."

"How come I still can't see?"

"Your eyes are still bandaged. Nana? Can we take the bandages off yet?"

"I think so, grab the scissors and wait just a moment." Nana went over and turned off the lights first. The only light in the storeroom now was from a nightlight on the wall by the door. Nana handed Tobey the scissors and he handed them to Sue. "Sid would probably prefer you do it, he once said he never wanted me around his head with scissors, again."

"That was after you cut half of the hair off his head for your experiment when we were kids."

"Ya well, all that hair burning really stunk up the room huh?"

Sid even smiled. "Yes, Sue you do it, please!"

She and Tobey each took one of his hands and helped him sit up. Sid held still while she snipped the gauze. "Sid, don't worry, Nana turned the lights out so it won't be too bright and hurt your eyes."

She took the antidote soaked gauze off and wiped away the sticky with a warm damp towel that Tobey handed her. "Ok, slowly open your eyes."

Sid blinked and looked right at Sue. "I can see you! You're a little blurry, but I can see!"

"Wonderful Sid." Nana exclaimed. Sue just hugged him and Tobey joined in briefly.

Nana got up and went to the light switch. "Sid, close your eyes again, and before you open again, shield your eyes with your hands. I will turn on the light when you are ready."

"Ok Nana, ready." The lights in the room came on and Sid put his hands up in front of his eyes.

"Thanks Nana, I am fine! The light doesn't hurt and I can see." Sid was so relieved and felt lucky even.

"Let's go out and 'see' Barney, I am sure he's at least a little worried."

"And, can we eat? I'm starving!"

"Yes to you all, and we need to talk about how we are going to get this most deadly recipe back from Kong Li." Nana led the way. Sue and Tobey walked with Sid, so happy he was ok, but still wanting to stay close in case he needed anything.

When they all entered the kitchen together, Barney greeted them all, but went to Sid and patted his shoulder. You were looking pretty bad there when I saw you last. I didn't think you would let cleaning fluid kick your butt that bad!"

Barney and Sid grinned, Sid said thanks and when he turned to the others, he said "Cleaning fluid?" Now he was confused.

Tobey touched Sid's shoulder to show him the way to a booth and some food. "Come, let me share with you some secrets concerning cleaning fluid."

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Tobee Continued . . .


	6. Chapter 6 Tobey Li

When Friend's Attack: [6]

Finding a good Plum Sauce recipe for Tobey Li

By CrystalQuirt

The trio must get the Purple Venom of Plum Sauce Recipe back from Kong Li before he can use it again, but in the process they lose Tobey to the dark side. Violence, angst and scary situations.

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From Part 5

When they all entered the kitchen together, Barney greeted them all, but went to Sid and patted his shoulder. You were looking pretty bad there when I saw you last. I didn't think you would let cleaning fluid kick your butt that bad!"

Barney and Sid grinned, Sid said thanks and when he turned to the others, he said "Cleaning fluid?" Now he was confused.

Tobey touched Sid's shoulder to show him the way to a booth and some food. "Come, let me share with you some secrets concerning cleaning fluid."

[[[[[[[[[[{{{{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}}]]]]]]]]]]

Sue, Sid and Tobey need to get the Purple Venom of Plum Sauce Recipe back from Kong Li. They all recovered well from their experiences with the recipe that Kong Li tricked Sue into eating. Even Tobey's black eye has lost most of the black and blue colors with Nana's special remedies she gave him to use.

After a couple of days of searching, they found Kong Li and followed him back to the underground cavern.

"What's he doing? I thought he would have cleared out of here when we found him here the last time." Sue wondered as they crouched behind the rock to watch Kong Li.

Kong Li mixed and stirred something and then poured it into a glass vial with a lid before tucking it into his cloak.

Sid stepped forward first into sight. "Kong Li! Hand over the Purple Venom of Plum Sauce Recipe."

"Sue, Sid and Tobey, how nice of you to come, but I am surprised to see you. Your Nana must have saved you again." Kong Li took the recipe out of his cloak and showed it to them, like he was teasing.

"We won't let you hurt anyone else with that recipe!"

"Come and get it if you can?" Kong Li rolled it up and put it in a plastic tube with a lid. Then he put it in a tank with the other jellyfish that he turned into killers with the Steamed Sushi and Jelly Jam recipe. It mutated the jellyfish so they were larger, stronger and could live out of the water.

Sid charged Kong Li first with a series of punches Kong Li blocked and knocked him back with his staff. Tobey jumped up and delivered a round kick that connected with his enemies shoulder. Kong Li came right back with a kick of his own.

Tobey flew through the air and landed on one of the large wooden tables that sat close to one of the crevasses that crisscrossed the ground in the cavern. Kong Li threw Sid back and he landed with his back against the same table that Tobey had landed on. The table tilted and Tobey screamed as he slid off into the crevasse.

Sid tried to catch him, but just missed grabbing his hand. Kong Li ran up behind Sid and tried to push him in too, but with great effort Sid jumped and went over the crevasse instead of falling in. he jumped back across as Kong Li ran at Sue.

Sue got the recipe out of the jellyfish tank with very little trouble. She used a wide board to move the tube containing the recipe over to one end of the tank and then held the board in place to keep the jellyfish back while she reached in and got it.

She had just tucked it in her belt when Kong Li hit her from the side and knocked her down, but Sid was already on him. Kong Li tried to spin out of Sid's way and tripped over Sue. He landed on his back and they took the chance to get away with the recipe and go after Tobey.

Sue and Sid jumped into the crevasse where he fell and carefully navigated down the passageway. Sid found Tobey's phone stuck between rocks and looked very worried when he realized they wouldn't be able to find him using the GPS.

The passageway opened up over a raging river. Sid stepped carefully down to a narrow ledge and assisted Sue down behind him. "Tobey must have fallen in." Sid yelled over the roaring water that rushed past them.

By the time they got to the turn in the tunnel, the water seemed to be slowing down and getting shallower. Just around the corner they spotted Tobey's broken bike helmet snagged on a pipe, bobbing up and down in a shallow pool, but no other sign of Tobey.

"Why has the water stopped running?"

"There isn't water in here all the time. It's only when the water department releases rain water or water from the reservoir. Tobey picked a bad time to fall down here. They picked it up to a run, and both called Tobey's name as they went.

[[[[[[[[[[{{{{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}}]]]]]]]]]]

Tobey went into the water feet first, and fought to stay on the surface. The swiftly moving water tossed him around and sucked him down. He kicked and struggled to get back up to the surface just in time for the water to slam him up against the concrete wall. The passageway turned toward the ocean. Tobey's helmet cracked and came off his head. Tobey's ears rang and he was stunned for a moment after bashing his head.

The pain in his head made him forget to swim and the current sucked him under as the water flowed down a steep decline and into a huge rusty iron pipe. He started fighting again to get back to the surface for air and found the pipe was completely full-there was no surface for air and he was going down with the water. The gate at the end of the pipe wasn't open all the way, and Tobey banged his head again on the edge of it as he was washed under it.

He was unconscious as his body fell the rest of the distance with the water to the rocky beach below.

Tobey's shoe went out in the ocean and a shark ate it. His other shoe floated to the edge and washed up on the sand. Tobey was caught hanging by his clothing in the trees and shrubs growing under the pipe. His shirt tore and he fell another ways down, breaking limbs as he went until he landed on his back in the sand.

A bag lady made her way slowly along the sidewalk above where the pipe came out of the cliff. She leaned on the wooden railway and stared out to watch the seagulls. One flew under her and landed on the beach right next to Tobey's unmoving body. She saw him and grabbed a large piece of a torn blanket from her cart and hurried all stooped over down the short path to get to where she saw him.

She mumbled, "My boy, my cold boy-must warm him up-my babies gonna catch cold."

With seemingly impossible strength for an arthritic-looking elderly woman, she wrapped Tobey in the filthy blanket with his legs hanging out and carried him back up the path. She continued to mumble, "My boy is sooo cold, he will warm up, and Mama Rita will make him better."

Rita dropped Tobey unceremoniously into the shopping cart. He landed in sort of a fetal position on his side, and she pulled more rags and trash out from under him to completely cover him up. She thought she was keeping 'her boy' warm.

The water was reduced to a trickle. Sue and Sid walked the path the water took and stood in the opening of the pipe looking out over the ocean.

"No! Sid! What do you think happened to him? We searched the whole tunnel this is the end."

"I don't know Sue."

Sid spotted Tobey's shoe in the sand and brush below and jumped down the rocks to get it with Sue right behind him.

"This is definitely his." Sid said sadly. Sue began to cry, and when she did, so did he. He tried not to, wiping his face. He was determined to continue the search.

"We can't give up!" He and Sue could be heard sniffling as the searched the rocks and brush for Tobey. Sid's voice cracked as he called his name. Sue looked up and saw Rita. "Maybe Rita saw him!" They both ran up the short path to ask her.

Sue spoke kindly, "Rita, excuse me! Please! Have you seen Tobey-a wet, teenage boy, with a white patch of hair?" Rita looked up from her current task of sorting through each piece of garbage from the can and talking about treasure.

"Sure I did! He sure is a handsome fellow isn't he?"

"Oh thank-you! Where is he?"

"Who?" Rita looked confused for a moment.

"Oh you mean 'my' boy! My boy. . . I cared for him and took care of him when he was sick – you know? He played the flute beautifully – everyone said so!"

Sue and Sid looked so disappointed when they realized the poor old woman was not rowing with both ores.

Rita continued, "He got very cold just now you know, he is warming up and I have to go find his flute so he will have it when he wakes up." She reached forward and patted the pile of blankets that kept Tobey from their view.

Sue started to cry again and Sid hugged her as tears came to his eyes too. He called Nana and told her what happened and to see what they should do. Nana told them to stay there and she was on her way.

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The homeless woman shuffled on down the sidewalk with her cart talking to herself. She got back to her hidden area that she called home. It was in the park behind some bushes and trees and started to unload her cart.

When she came to Tobey, she looked at him kindly and decided she liked his shiny belt and wrist cuffs. She pulled his belt off and unsnapped his wrist cuffs and put them on herself. She just put the belt around her layers of clothing near her waist. Even though she was very thin, it barely fit over all the layers she had wrapped around her.

When Tobey moaned and woke up a few minutes later he startled and clawed his way out from under the stinky blankets. When he looked out from under the blankets he thought he was in a cage. The stink of the blankets made his eyes water a little. He sat up and realized the cage he was in, was really only a shopping cart.

When he climbed out the old woman was standing in front of him, staring at him, so he spoke first, "Hi, um . . . where am I?"

"You are in my house."

He looked around, "It looks like a park?"

"Hey! You are in my house. Who are you?"

Tobey thought a moment and had to admit, he didn't know. "Do you know me?"

"Who are you? Why are you in my house?" she demanded again and when he didn't answer she picked up rocks and started throwing them at him. Tobey put up his arms to protect his face as he backed away. She started screaming and it scared him so bad he ran.

Once out of the park he walked up the street. Mrs. Thompson passed him on her way to the coffee shop and said "Hi Tobey, if you come by the bookstore later, I have some fresh muffins for you." He heard her, but didn't recognize her or realize that she was talking to him. "Strange boy, he must be preoccupied with something."

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Nana, Sue and Sid searched again for Tobey but found nothing and no more clues to where he went. The police arrived with divers, and they searched the area and found nothing, except sharks. Their hopes of finding him were almost gone.

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The wind was blowing, and Tobey's torn wet clothes were not much protection from the cold. He ducked into an alley and crouched next to a dumpster. He strained his brain trying to think of his name, or where he was, but nothing looked familiar. Then he heard a voice!

"Well if it isn't my favorite little reject, Tobey!" Kong Li stepped out of the shadows in the alley where Tobey was trying to get out of the wind.

Tobey woke up and looked around. He blinked as his eyes focused on Kong Li. He was a scary looking guy. Tobey startled and backed up.

"I didn't think you survived when you fell into the sewers of Chinatown."

"What?"

"Come on Tobey, don't you have any stupid insults to shout at me."

"Who are you? I don't know you."

"Interesting." Kong Li saw the bruise on Tobey's forehead and the little bit of blood in his hair. "Don't you know me-boy?"

"No, and I don't know my name. Did you just call me Tobey? You know me?"

"Of course I know you my son, I am your father! My how I have missed you."

"My father! I am so happy you found me! I really feel terrible."

"My poor son, and you must be freezing too. Come let me take you home." Kong Li looked into Tobey's eyes with his ice blue stare and smiled at his 'son'.

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[Tobee continued . . . ]


	7. Chapter 7

When Friend's Attack: [7]

Tobey Li or Tobey

By CrystalQuirt

Violence, angst and scary situations. The trio successfully got the Purple Venom of Plum Sauce Recipe back from Kong Li, but they lost Tobey to the dark side. Conclusion.

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From Part 6

"No, and I don't know my name. Did you just call me Tobey? You know me?"

"Of course I know you my son, I am your father! My how I have missed you."

"My father! I am so happy you found me! I really feel terrible."

"My poor son and you must be freezing too. Come let me take you home." Kong Li looked into Tobey's eyes with his ice blue stare and smiled at his 'son'.

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Kong Li didn't have any time to prepare for this situation, but he was still determined to take advantage of it. He took Tobey home and showed him "his" room. He gave him clean towels, clothes and promised to have diner ready for him after he took a warm shower and a nap. Tobey felt so relieved to be off the streets and in the warm little house with his 'father'.

He felt content, like he had been wandering for years and had finally come 'home'. After his shower he stretched out on the bed in the new clothes Kong Li had given him. He felt safe and had time to think for a while before drifting off to sleep. He tried to remember what had happened to him.

Tobey awoke with a strong feeling that something was still very wrong. Something or someone was missing. In his dreams there were images of his 'father' that really disturbed him and there were other images of people he couldn't remember, but he felt happy with.

Tobey looked at the dirty clothes that he took off before his shower and thought how he really liked them better than what his father had just given him. They were all black, and more like a uniform. The room that was supposed to be his was bare. It was like he had no belongings or anything that he might have a memory of. No pictures, no other clothing and nothing looked familiar.

Kong Li cracked the door and looked in without knocking, "Wonderful, you are awake, come on down and eat something and we will talk some more."

Tobey and Kong Li sat at a small table and ate. "Tobey, do you remember 'our mission', my one goal in life that you promised to help me see through to the end?"

"No father, I'm afraid I don't remember much of anything."

"Don't worry son it will all come back to you, I am sure. Before you went missing, we had a mission. You were helping me defeat the evil in Chinatown."

"Where? What evil?"

"We are in Chinatown now, it is our home. You were born here, right here in this house. I loved your mother so much, and you are all I have left to remember her by. Your mother was killed by Mai Hua soon after you were born. I have raised you alone." Kong Li watched Tobey carefully while he sat there lying to him.

"Oh no, my mother was killed-why? Who is this Mai Hua?"

She is the eldest and the head of an evil family that uses magic recipes in their restaurant to hurt people who get in the way of their 'business'. Gambling, drugs whatever they can make money from. Mai Hua has been my enemy for many years, even before she killed your mother. People, who have tried to stop Mai Hua and her evil family, have disappeared."

"They sound scary." Tobey shuddered.

"I am so proud of you, you are a real hero. You alone, recently discovered at terrible risk of your own life, that this evil family kills their victim and serve them as the restaurant's special. But we still have to get proof. It is all so horrific-the authorities will never believe us without evidence."

"Oh no! Father- we do have to see this through! I can't remember anything much, but I am sure my feelings about getting the evil out of Chinatown have not changed."

"I have dedicated my life to teach you Kung Fu and magic my son. You and I have been working together since you were very small to rid Chinatown of this threat."

"Here is what you learned for me so far. Mei Hua keeps her evil magic recipes in a book. Oh yes, and her two adopted reject teenagers call her 'Nana.' Their names are Sid and Sue."

Kong Li watched Tobey's face carefully looking for any sign of recognition after he told him his 'enemies' names.

"I suspect that they are the reason you disappeared recently. They must have tried to steal you away from me and you escaped-I don't know what they did to make you forget me. Sid and Sue are skilled Kung Fu fighters and Mei Hua is formidable."

"There is a third teenager there named Barney that is a skilled wrestler and fighter. If you run into him, he too must be taken out. The other one is Calvin Wu and he is just plain mean-make sure you do not run into him at all."

"No problem." Tobey realized the urgency of what he had to do.

"If you can avoid contact with any of them, it would be better, they are many and will try to trick you and turn you against me, my son."

"Give me some credit! I would never let that happen! You are only trying to save our home and Chinatown."

"I have been trying to stop them from hurting other's for years, but they are clever. The police have never found any of their victims because they cook them. If you let them capture you, they will cook you up alive as the restaurant's evening special too."

Tobey shuddered. "I understand father."

Kong Li got up and looked Tobey over. "The clothes I put out for you look good, my Ninjitsu warrior. Their black color will help hid you and instill fear in anyone who does happen to see you."

"Wow! I am a Ninja?"

"Yes my son, a very good one. Do you feel well enough to go on your first mission-tonight?"

"Yes father." Kong Li gave him the location and told him again how important getting the recipes was. He wanted to make sure it was clear that Mai Hua was using them only for evil, but he would use them to defeat her.

As Tobey prepared to leave he turned back and looked at his father.

"What was my mother's name?"

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Tobey crouched on top of the garden wall. His white forelock and the moon reflecting off the blade of the knife he carried under his belt were the only parts of him visible in the darkness. He carried a half-dozen Shuriken, or Ninjitsu stars under his belt in the fold of his black robe.

He knew he must be stealthy to avoid being seen so he watched and waited.

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Barney had been working at the chopping block in the storeroom cutting a side of pork into chops, stir fry meat and steaks. He enjoyed this part of his work a little too much, and had blood all over the place.

Mr. Wu looked in and saw the blood on the bench and the floor and counter, and Barney had every knife in the place bloody and out on the counter too. Mr. Wu yelled very loudly at him "CLEAN-UP-THIS-PLACE!"

Tobey heard the yelling even from his position in the garden. "Wow, he sounds mean-I hope I don't run into him."

Barney frowned as he packed the last of the meat in bags and marked them with what it was and the date. He put them in a basket to carry them to the freezer. He really had to get the kitchen cleaned up first. "I will 'clean up this place' later," mocking his dad.

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When Tobey saw Barney's shadow against the screen door, he knew he had left the storeroom and was probably on his way back to the kitchen. Once inside, he gathered all his courage and slipped down the stairs. He easily found the storeroom. I must have been here before; spying or something for my father, the layout of this place seems so familiar.

He gasped when he saw all the blood smeared around and the bloody knives. They must have just done away with their latest victim. He tried not to look anymore as he went by it toward the book case. He started scanning the titles of the books arranged on the shelves.

The door opened inward right beside him. He jumped back and turned to see a young male-must be Sid, in front of the other door. Another came in the door by the book case, a young girl-Sue 'oh pretty' - he thought. He lowered into his fighting stance when he realized that they had him surrounded.

"Tobey!" Sue squealed. "We thought you died! Where have you been?" Sue ran toward him and he leapt up and threw two stars at her. She sidestepped them and they missed, stuck in the books behind her.

"TOBEY!" Sid couldn't believe what he had seen! "What is wrong with you? You could have hurt Sue! Since when does Nana let you use weapons?"

Tobey spun and threw two more at Sid, which he easily avoided. Tobey took the knife out of his belt and waved it slowly in front of him. "Let me out!" he growled.

"Ya right . . . quit messing around-where've you been? We missed you." Sid would have given him a hug but Tobey kicked at him and jumped away.

"No stay away from me-my father warned me about you - you are all evil - he told me what you maniacs serve in your restaurant." His voice shook with fear as he backed around the chopping block, trying to keep from turning his back to either one of them.

"I won't let you eat me!"

"Eat you?" Sid giggled. "There's not enough meat on you to bother with."

Sue shot Sid a dirty look. "Tobey? What are you talking about? We are your family-Sue and Sid-you don't know your father. We are all orphans."

"No my father found me-I am not an orphan. You tried to steal me away from him against my will, but I escaped and he found me. What did you do to me to make me forget everything?"

"We didn't do anything to you! Wait, you forgot everything? Like amnesia. Tobey that's it - you must have amnesia . . . but what he told you is not true - you belong with us! Kong Li is not your father - he is the one that is evil!"

"You are lying! Tobey screamed! ". . . and now that I know the truth, I will fulfill my vow to help him rid Chinatown of evil-and that means getting rid of you!"

Sue was very worried now, Tobey was not kidding. "Tobey please - it's us - your family!"

"I have to get HIS book of magic recipes BACK, and I know you have it."

"Tobey you can't be serious! You were raised by Nana with us and taught martial arts so we could prevent Kong Li from getting Nana's recipes and taking over Chinatown. That would be a bad thing."

"STOP lying! Kong Li is my father! The recipes belong to him!"

Sid took a step toward Tobey. "NO WAY! Tobey! Kong Li is the enemy!"

"NO! You are trying to trick me!" Tobey swiped at him with his knife, missed and jumped back farther away.

"Tobey we love you - please don't do this." Sid got ready to keep him from running.

Sue closed in on the other side, "We can't lose you again."

Tobey back-flipped high into the air, and threw a vial forcefully at Sid. It hit the ground in front of him and blew him into the storage shelves. He was stunned and tried unsuccessfully to get up while the room filled up quickly with chemical smoke.

Sue tackled Tobey in mid air but he twisted out of her grip. She landed and vanished into the smoke. Tobey coughed and his eyes were watering too so he took the chance to run.

"Father is gonna be real mad I didn't get the recipes for him."

Sue started coughing as she felt around in the thick smoke for Sid. He was coughing too so she followed the sound and found him on the floor. She pulled him out the door and closed it to keep the smoke in.

"Sid-Are you ok?"

"Ya what was that about?" Sid rubbed his eyes and coughed again.

"What happened to him to make him lose his memory?"

"I can't imagine, but we gotta go after him."

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Tobey ran back to the corner of the garden and jumped up on the wall, then he ran on top of it to the other corner and jumped up to the roof. He ran along the rooftops for a block before coming back down and running across the street.

On their bikes, Sue and Sid stayed back so he wouldn't see them. Tobey didn't know they were chasing him so he was not sticking very well to the shadows.

Tobey went past the entrance to an alley and slammed on the brakes. Sue and Sid stayed back and watched from behind a parked car. Tobey stopped because he saw Rita in the alley. She was humming and sorting stuff in her shopping cart. She was also still wearing Tobey's belt and wristbands. He didn't understand why she looked so familiar – but he really liked her leather accessories. He stared at her for a while before jogging back to Kong Li's lair.

As they passed the alley, Sue and Sid saw what he was looking at. "So she had seen him. She must have saved him when he washed out of the pipe." Sue reasoned.

Sid started off again, "Too bad she doesn't even know she is a hero."

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Sue and Sid parked their bikes and watched Tobey go into an abandoned store that had living quarters over it. They jumped on the fence and across to the porch roof and ran up the steep incline to a skylight. Tobey and Kong Li were in the room below.

They watched and could even hear Kong Li screaming at Tobey. He paced and pointed at him. "You failed?"

". . . but father, they caught me and I couldn't beat both of them at once. If I had stayed they would have captured me and cooked me up in a recipe. You said so."

"You should have known to not come back if you didn't have the recipes. My own son disappoints me so much." Kong Li backhanded him across the mouth with his knuckles.

Tobey's head snapped around and he fell on his side. He stared at his 'father' as his shaking hand went to his face and he felt blood running from the corner of his mouth.

Sue held Sid back. He became very angry when he saw Kong Li strike Tobey. "No - wait 'til there's some more distance between them." she whispered.

Tobey looked back up at Kong Li and cried, "I'm sorry father-I will do better- I will go back!"

He didn't want to disappoint his father. As far as he could remember, he had cared for him and trained him and now he was letting him down. Tobey's eyes looked wet when he looked back up at Kong Li and Sid gritted his teeth trying to restrain himself.

Kong Li saw he had Tobey under his control and faked compassion. "Oh I am so sorry my son. It just upsets me so when I see that you have not lived up to your potential. You really need to try harder."

Tobey rolled over to get up and Kong Li kicked him in the stomach. He cried out and dropped on the floor again.

"ENOUGH!" Sid screamed and jumped feet first into the middle of the skylight. The glass shattered and rained down around him as he landed in the middle of the room. Sue landed an instant after and right behind her brother. "Leave Tobey alone!" she yelled.

Kong Li was only startled for a moment and ran at them. Sid blocked his first punch but missed a strike with his cane and fell. Sue moved in and planted her feet in his chest knocking him back.

Tobey saw the two evil teenagers fighting with his father and jumped up to protect him.

"Hey stop! I will protect my father!" He landed in front of Kong Li and knocked Sue away with a round kick. He back-flipped at Sid and he blocked Tobey's kicks, but Tobey used the momentum to land on his feet and throw his last two stars at Sue before kicking Sid again.

Sue dodged the first one, but the second star buried itself in her shoulder. "Ow-ahnnng" she cried.

"Sue!" Sid yelled as he watched her lean back against the wall and slide down to the floor holding his shoulder.

When Tobey heard her cry out, he stopped in the middle of an attack against Sid and chills ran up his spine when he looked at her. Why did her pain hurt him so he wondered.

She had her eyes squeezed shut and moaned quietly through her teeth as her hand felt for the offending piece of metal in her shoulder.

Sid screamed "How could you hurt Sue?" as he ran at Tobey and tackled him. Tobey fought like a scared animal, and to keep from hurting him - Sid let him go.

"Tobey! Stop fighting me!"

Tobey threw a series of punches and Sid blocked and hit back. Tobey missed blocking one of Sid's kicks and flew over a table. He smashed his head into the brick wall and fell to the floor.

Sid ran to Sue, "Oh – no – Sue - sit still!" Blood was quickly soaking into her shirt. He frantically looked around, "I need a towel or something!"

Tobey had not gotten up. Sid saw him lying motionless and frowned before looking back to Sue. "Sid, I'm ok-Watch Out!"

Kong Li appeared behind Sid and grabbed him by his arms to pull him away from Sue. "No! Let me go-I have to help her! – Tobey! Help!"

Kong Li said nothing as he dragged Sid over to the bathroom door. The door was an old, heavy thing built back when houses were made out of real wood. He took the phone off of Sid's belt and threw him in so hard he landed in the bathtub. The door was slammed shut and locked before he could get back to it.

Sid screamed for Sue and threatened Kong Li. Then he cried for Tobey to help her. There were no windows at all in the small bathroom.

A moment later the door opened again and Kong Li stood there holding a weakened Sue by her throat. Blood ran down her arm from her shoulder and dripped off her fingertips.

"Sue!" Sid started toward her.

"Get back or I will snap her neck." Sid reluctantly backed away from the door. Kong Li shoved Sue at him and slammed the door again. Sid caught her and lowered her gently to the floor.

He noticed that he didn't hear Kong Li lock the door the second time. He pulled a clean towel down off a rack and rolled it up to press it around the Ninja Star sticking out of his sister's shoulder.

Kong Li smashed the sibling's phones and went over to his 'son'. He was very annoyed with him and pulled him out from behind the table by the bottom of his pants leg. "Wake up you worthless Reject."

Tobey didn't wake up right away so he pulled him over by the bathroom door and left him there where he could see him.

Kong Li went back to the counter and stirred something in a bowl before pouring a red liquid down the front of the bathroom door. The door glowed blue for an instant.

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"Get this thing out of me!" Sue panted and her muscles tensed against the pain. She was flat on her back on the bathroom floor with Sid kneeling over her.

"I don't know if I can - what if it hurts you - what if I do more damage?"

"I can't help fight with this thing in me – it already hurts so bad - get it out - please!" Sue pleaded.

"Ok." Sid would do what his sister asked, even if he didn't think it was best.

Sid's hands were shaking as he used the edge of the towel to grab the metal star, slick with Sue's blood. When he was sure he had a good hold on it he pulled sharply straight up.

Sue screamed and arched her back as it came out, followed by more blood. The wound immediately filled up and spilled over with blood. Sid gasped, and hurried to get pressure on it "Oh crap Sue! I probably shouldn't have done that!"

"It's ok - I'm glad you did." Sue had relaxed a little. "It doesn't hurt so much now."

"Well ok, but you are bleeding!"

She ignored him and changed the subject, "Sid, what happened to Tobey?" Sue's voice sounded weaker.

"He was hurt. He charged me and I blocked and hit him. I think he hit his head when he fell over a table. I didn't mean to hurt him!" Sid wiped tears out of his eyes while he kept pressure on Sue's wound with his other hand.

Sid continued, "It was wonderful to find out he was alive! We missed him so much already. I don't understand why he is acting like this. Calling Kong Li his father, and defending him? Have we lost Tobey forever?"

"He has amnesia. It must have happened when he fell into the water in that cavern. Maybe Kong Li brainwashed him-you know how he believes anything somebody tells him."

"He is still our Tobey, and we have to figure out how to get him back. We will NOT lose him!"

"I wish we would have told Nana where we were going, and now Kong Li took our phones."

Sid got up to check the door-he thought Kong Li hadn't locked it. His fingers only got a few inches from it and a shock threw him back. He landed next to Sue and she saw the skin on his hand was bright red. The charged door had burned him. "Sid?"

"I'm ok." He got up and held his hand under running cold water.

Sid screamed at the door. "Tobey! Wake up! Please help us!"

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Kong Li left Tobey lying near the door where the siblings were held and he could hear them talking. He had awakened with a whopper of a headache and stayed still while he listened to what they were saying. After the second blow to his head, and hearing his friends speaking kindly of him, he remembered them and everything else.

Tobey decided to pretend he didn't remember, until he could get Sue and Sid out of here. He pressed his fist against his chest in frustration when he remembered fighting them. For once he wished he didn't have any fighting skills.

Tobey pushed himself up on his knees and Kong Li saw him. "Nice of you to wake up, now we can get on with 'my', I mean 'our' plans." Come sit down. Tobey started to reach out toward the door that his friends were behind.

"Oh, son. Don't touch that-it will burn you and I don't want to see you hurt." Kong Li lied again. Tobey obediently got up and sat at the table with him.

"What do we do now father? Are we going to ransom them for the recipes?"

"That is a wonderful idea! Thanks son."

"So, do you want me to go to Mai Hua and tell her your demands?"

"No Tobey, I would rather you not run into her alone. She is powerful, and may succeed at capturing you. I will go. You stay here and watch over our prisoners."

Tobey looked away so he could hide his smile. He looked back at Kong Li. "Can't I torment them while you are gone. They must pay for what they have done."

"No son, that won't be necessary." Kong Li smiled, he was so proud. "That door is protected, and will hurt you if you go near it, it will also hurt them if they go near it so you won't have any trouble with them trying to escape."

"Yes father."

"Just keep an eye on things and I will be back soon."

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As soon as Kong Li was out of the building, Tobey ran to the door "Sue-Sid! Stay back from the door! Kong Li has some sort of protection spell on it."

"No kidding," Sid winced as he rewrapped his hand. "Tobey are you back? Do you remember us?"

"Ya Sid, I remember everything. How is Sue?"

"I will be fine Tobey."

"I will be back!" Tobey ran to the counter. There was a recipe right out in the open. "Guess daddy trusts me more than he should." Tobey grinned as he read it. It was the Su Lyn Fu Beat Barrier recipe. It was definitely the one he used to block the door.

"Beets, cherries and chili powder, it's all red. What would be an antidote to it - color maybe? Green is opposite red on the color wheel." Tobey dug around in Kong Li's refrigerator until he found the greenest something he could. He threw a large chunk of broccoli in the blender with lime jello and mixed it into mush.

He turned the green bowl he put it in flat up against the wall. The shock didn't get him; the green was apparently protecting him. He slid the bowl all around the door smearing the broccoli mixture all over the door then he dropped the bowl and stood back. The familiar blue swirls traveled around the door for a moment and he jumped forward to open it.

Sid and Sue stood up and ran to him when he appeared in the doorway. "Tobey! You did it!" he gasped when he saw the blood from Sue's shoulder and Sid had his hand wrapped in a cold, wet towel.

"Oh man, you guys are hurt badly!"

"We are fine" ignoring their discomfort, they pulled Tobey into a hug and squeezed him so hard he couldn't breathe for a moment.

"Let's get out of here." They raced home and found Kong Li and Nana facing off in the street he was making his demands when they jumped him and got in several good hits before he vanished. Nana congratulated them on getting away and getting Tobey back.

She took Sid and Sue in and treated their wounds. Tobey went to the kitchen and filled one of the large to go containers with Lemon Chicken. He greeted his bike like a long lost friend and left alone.

[[[[[[[[[[{{{{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}}]]]]]]]]]]

Tobey visited Rita. She was always pretty easy to find. She greeted him like an old friend when he found her.

"Hey Rita. I really like your wristbands and belt." She looked a little confused. So he pointed.

"Oh yes! They are nice aren't they? My son gave them to me, but really they don't go with anything in my wardrobe."

Tobey grinned. He would rather think Rita was his mom, than think about Kong Li being his dad. "Would you consider trading them for this?"

He held up the 'to go' container and her eyes got as big as saucers. She quickly took the leather items off and handed them to him. She chattered happily and sat down right there on the sidewalk with the chop sticks he gave her to eat.

Tobey sat down with her and put his belt and wristbands back on. They sat and talked while she ate. Tobey found her each evening and gave her his diner every day for months. She saw Tobey so often. She started remembering him and called him 'son'.

He knew it wasn't true but it was kinda nice. While she ate, he sat with her and told her about his day at school and what Sue and Sid were up to until one day he couldn't find her. He looked, and asked around for a couple of weeks, but no one knew what happened to her.

One day he got a delivery down in the area where he used to find her and wishfully watched the faces of the crowd on the sidewalk as they passed him. He rang the doorbell and a handsome young man answered with a flute in his hand. Tobey said, "Here is your order of Lemon Chicken, sir."

"Oh it isn't for me, it is for my mother." The man told Tobey as he took it and gave him the money. "I recently found her and invited her to come live with me." Tobey looked behind him and there was Rita! All cleaned up and cared for with new clothes on and the color back in her cheeks!

"Hey great! I am happy for you both!"

Rita stepped forward and looked at him closely. "Don't I know you?"

"No, I don't think so, have a wonderful day!" Tobey smiled and slid down the railing. He raced back to Wu's for the next delivery.

[[[[[[[[[[{{{{{{{{{{THREE DELIVERY}}}}}}}}}}]]]]]]]]]]

[END]


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